Paradise Is Where the Heart Is
by Hachichi the Medic
Summary: The sequel to "We Are Not Alone." Even day-to-day life is filled with all sorts of happenings, from the strange to the small, they're all equally memorable. From holidays, trips to the beach, dates, to banished princes, people who seem to defy time, and mysterious organizations, the one constant are the bonds between people.
1. Kirere & Giroro: Galactic Challenge Pt1

That last story was a very long complex arc, neh? Well, I appreciate you all hanging in here, and here's something nice and easier to swallow. I series of short (I'm hoping) two-part stories, the first part of the first "episode" being right here! So I hope that you like it, and… Please enjoy! And if you haven't read anything of mine yet, no need to fret—Here's a synopsis of our story right below me!

Our story, thus far:

The Keroro platoon has a new, unofficial and much younger member. Chief Mechanic Kirere, who was made from the DNA of Giroro and Kururu and whose purpose was originally to be a super weapon to aide in the takeover of Pekopon. Instead she ended up being an epic failure in nearly everything, save for anything dealing with puzzles.

In the second story, Kirere was used to her full potential, but was stopped by the Keroro Platoon just in time, and rescued from a crazed occult writer, Nicolas Kezanstav. The group picked up another Keronian along the way, the moody many-generations removed uncle of Keroro, Major Romama. Romama isn't on good terms with the team, however, and when we last saw him he had left them, not saying where he was headed.

In the last story, Romama was finally reunited with his old Platoon, which consisted of the formerly Giroro-like but now relaxed family man Mahihi Chui, who lived in Hawaii with a human wife named Daisy and stepchildren, the ex-combat specialist and now spoiled pop star Chunini Gunso, whose ninja-like manager is her only confidant as she tours the world under the Pekoponian disguise of "Chu", the ex-thief and now protector of the rain forest Lupapa Goucho, who lives in a tribe who have taken her in as family (and whose biggest fan is her "nephew", Marco), and bookworm, chemist, cook, and pyromaniac Fujuju Socho, who before the team had met had been shut in his London home for fifteen years.

There were also some unwanted reunions, such as with jilted and bitter Rokiki Tai, who Romama cheated out of the job as Platoon Leader, and Kezanstav, who has gone mad with the need for power and revenge. These two are defeated, with Rokiki seeing the error of his need for revenge and Kezanstav perishing (but not before reconciling with Romama) and then the Major is reunited with the girl he lost many years ago, only to realize she has moved on with her life and he now must do the same.

The Romama Platoon is split up once more, but keeps in contact with the Keroro Platoon, who they see as friends. Romama is not an official member but more of a bystander to the insanity.

Episode One, Part One:  
Kirere & Giroro: Intergalactic Challenge!

Giroro was cheery at the meeting. Too cheery. It unnerved Kirere as she attempted to draw through the meetings, as she usually did, but she was too busy glancing up at her father, who was polishing one of his guns as Keroro was in the midst of a long-winded speech that no one seemed to be paying much mind to. Her father was smiling… Why was he smiling?

It had been a couple of weeks since the incident that had left them with new friends in the Romama platoon. No one had heard anything from Rokiki… No one knew if Romama had kept in contact with Kodada, but it was for certain that Dororo kept in touch with Lupapa, who had promised to make a visit soon enough, and Giroro kept in touch with Mahihi, who had become an even closer friend to him. Tamama and Fujuju often visited one another, and Chunini dropped by, oftentimes unannounced (and unwanted).

Today was one of these days, and she sat in on the meeting not contributing but helping herself to some snacks set out in the middle of the table. Her presence, for once, did not seem to bother Giroro, either. Kirere could see Kururu had caught sight of this, and even he was having a hard time understanding Giroro's attitude. Why Giroro would be happy was a mystery to him, it was only the day before Kururu on a whim had decided to use the red corporal for another one of his tests. This one turned Giroro into a parakeet, and had kept him that way for a few hours.

"My apologies for being late, Teicho-dono!" Dororo hopped down through a ceiling tile, his sword in one hand. "Eh? Giroro-dono, you're in an unusually cheerful mood today!"

"Dororo! I didn't even notice you weren't there!" Keroro said with an apologetic laugh, and then looked to Giroro. "What's this… Giroro Goucho, you do seem in high spirits today. Are you confident about this mission?"

"Actually I think it's one our weakest grasps yet," Giroro answered. "It'd complete crush my soul if it weren't for something else I've got to keep my damaged spirit up."

"A new tool in our invasion strategy?!" Keroro asked, leaning on his podium a bit.

"Your brother's sending us more yummy food from home!?" Tamama chimed in, and Giroro lost his cheerful air.

"No, it's neither of those! This," he snapped, then tossed a flyer on the table, and all bent over to see it. Kirere felt a chill from the expressions on the faces of those who read it. Even Chunini's cool grin twitched a bit. Overcome by curiosity, Kirere hopped off of her chair and walked over, lifting it up and reading it over.

"Parent-Child Intergalactic Challenge and Picnic…" she read aloud. She felt that chill once again.

Keroro was now hidden behind his podium, "Gi-Giroro! You didn't seriously entertain the idea of doing such a thing!"

"I already signed us up this morning," Giroro explained to the young, pale girl. "It was the last day for entries, because it's being held a week from now, and on this planet for only the third time."

"Giroro-dono…" Dororo trailed off.

"That's just too cruel," Chunini said to herself, shaking her head.

"W-What?! Is it bad?!" Kirere yelped.

"Well… It's known as being quite difficult," Dororo explained.

"I asked my father about it once, when I was Kirere-chan's age… He refused to sign me up because he said he preferred me alive," Keroro muttered, and yelped at the glare Dororo delivered to him, and totally hid behind his podium.

"They stopped holding it every year because they were never done with the legal suits from the previous years, and they started to pile up," Tamama chimed in. Now Kirere shook even more, and took a step back.

"My father and Garuru always finished first in their categories the years they entered," Giroro took back the flyer and folded back up. "He and I also entered it when I was your age, and he and his father competed in it, and his father before him. It's become family tradition."

"Wow, that's… Really cool... You shouldn't have, Dad," Kirere looked over to Kururu for support, but found none. He was simply laid back on his seat, looking up at the ceiling; more than likely asleep.

"You'll have to follow more closely on the missions, and we can also get in other training," he announced to her, not noting the sickened expression and feigned smile she wore. He then turned and hummed on his way out of the meeting room, leaving it in silence.

"Hey, does this mean you'll have an opening for a cute perky girl character soon?" Chunini asked, breaking the stiffening silence. Kirere burst into tears.

"Ehhh… Now, now, Kirere-chan! It won't be so bad! We've seen you fight, you'll do just fine! I still have the mental scars from it!" Keroro hopped down from his platform and patted the young girl on the shoulder.

"He didn't even ask me! He should've asked!" what she continued with was a long trail of words indistinguishable only to other women who had been equally upset at some point, and a foreign language to the poor confused men who attempted to calm their hysteria.

"M-maybe there's a way to talk him out of this!" Keroro placed his hands together and smiled nervously while slowly backing away from her.

"We'll see what we can do, Kirere-chan," Dororo added, and she then began to ease out of her crying fit. "Kururu-dono, do you have any ideas?"

"Kukukuku… This is her mess to get out of. I'm not going to coddle her," was his only answer before he stood and shuffled out of the room.

"No help as usual," Tamama grumbled.

"We'll see if we can stop this silliness of his, Kirere-chan," Keroro reassured her with a smile.

"You want me to do what?" Natsumi asked flatly, looking down from the pot she had been stirring on the stove to Keroro.

"You're the only one he'll listen to, Natsumi-dono!" Keroro explained.

"They might have a good time!" she took a sip from the ladle she had been using to stir her soup and smiled. "This is coming out great!"

"You… You clearly don't understand, Natsumi-dono… That Parent/Child Competition is… Only for the top fighters, the elite warriors! It's where boys become men, and girls become… Well, terrifying, just like yo—GERO! Sorry, sorry!" he squeaked as she now held him by the neck. She dropped him back onto the ground and gave a sigh.

"I guess I could try… But he sounds dead set on this," Natsumi huffed. "She's not as weak as you think, you know! She might actually do all right!"

"Some never come back, or if they do it's by parcel post," Keroro said gravely, and she sighed and tossed aside her apron, and walked out with a sigh of annoyance.

Moments before this, Giroro had walked into his tent, intent on putting away his weapon and going over the paperwork for the contest. He nearly dropped the gun at what he found inside the tent, however.

"Oh! Silly me!" Chunini sat up and gave a polite little chuckle, and closed her magazine. "I was just looking through a magazine Lee gave me today… We're visiting Okinawa, I'm having a concert there, for charity or something. It's just a shame it happens the same time as that silly little competition."

"What are you doing here? What do you want? Kururu sent you, I'm guessing," Giroro was totally unimpressed by this, and went to go lock up his gun. As he went to stand, he stopped, feeling he wasn't alone.

"You know…" Chunini started in her most cheery, sweet tone. "I could use a little company while I'm there. I mean, Lee's nice, but… She's not one for conversation…"

"Eh?! G-Get out of here, you nuisance!" Giroro spun around, and jumped away from Chunini, who was standing a little too close for his comfort. "I… I'm flattered, but you're just not… What I'm trying to say is that… Well, you— I… I have Natsumi, and-"

Chunini's brow twitched, "You… You mean you're turning me down? YOU listen to ME! Men don't turn me down! I turn men down! All of them! Mainly because they're all creeps like you!" this was followed up by a slap to the face of a stunned Giroro.

She pushed back the flap of the red tent and stormed out, in a dark, heavy mood.

"Creep….? W-What just happened here?" he wondered, still leaned against his weaponry box.

"Did he go for it?" Tamama asked as Chunini turned the corner by the bush he was hidden behind.

"I'm NEVER turned down!" she called back in a snarl. "I'm going home to where I'm appreciated! I'm still writing this off as charity!"

"I should've told her to be in her Pekoponian form, that's what he goes for!" Tamama whispered regretfully.

"Did I interrupt something?" Natsumi asked, having watched Chunini storm out and now Giroro wander out, still in a daze.

"N-Natsumi! No, it was nothing, nothing like that at all!"

"Figures. You don't seem like the type who'd go for someone fancy like that, anyway," she knelt down next to him to get to his eye level. "What's with this contest you're entering with Kirere?"

"Eh? Did she tell you? She must be more excited than I imagined she would be… I was hoping she would. I know I could barely hold my excitement when my father entered us, back when I was a child."

"You guys did it?" she wondered aloud as he took a seat on the stone block in front of his fire pit.

Giroro gave an offward look, as if searching to remember, "Yes, when I was her age… We trained for months for it, did all sorts of preparations. I'd never felt closer to him than when we were training."

"So how'd you guys do? First place, right?"

"Dead last," he answered grimly. "I twisted my ankle in the last leg and we were the very last to finish it… It was the only time we entered. I was so disappointed and frustrated with myself… I got angry with him when he tried to sign us up again the next year. Now I've got another chance, though. I won't mess up this time, and I'll show Kirere just how good a fighter she is, too. She doesn't get to show her real strength enough."

"Remember her type of fighting might not be the same as yours… I mean, when it comes to that I think she takes a lot more from…"

"She's got it in her, she's got the will for it," he answered confidently. "We'll do just fine, I have every confidence."

"All right, if you're sure," Natsumi looked a bit worried now, and stood, and then walked back in to an anxious Keroro. "I was right. There's no convincing him."

"Gero…" was Keroro's only response.

Romama sat in the field, his legs and arms crossed, and watched as Dororo attempted to teach Kirere a bit of sword fighting. She'd come close to his neck on accident before, closer than his liking, so he'd wisely switched them to wooden swords.

"How do you do this all of the time, and are so cool about it?" she asked as they took a break and wandered over to the quiet Keronian boy. He handed her a bottle of water, which she took gratefully after plopping down on the grass beside Romama, and Dororo stood to drink his.

"Years of practice, plus inner talent that was recognized and cultivated from a young age," Dororo answered sagely. "You have a lot of ability as well, Kirere-chan."

"Just not with swords or guns or anything useful…"

"Ehhhh… Well, it's different, and that's the reason you're so useful to our team!" he answered, and Romama watched this back and forth between the two in silence, and then stood, taking up his own sword.

"Come on, you didn't drag me out here to sit on sidelines…" he nodded to her, and she stood back up and followed him, her sword in hand. "Don't think I'm going to take it easy on you…"

"I… I wasn't asking you to…" she blinked. She didn't know that Romama was saying this to convince himself to charge at her, and allowed Kirere made the first move. He quickly flipped her over onto the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

"Are… Are you all right!?" he asked as he saw she was not moving. She then wiggled back up, and he breathed a sigh of relief, and tossed down his sword.

"Don't do that, I thought I killed you! That's… That's all my heart can take. I'm sorry. Plus I have recitals in an hour," he said, still a bit shaken.

"Recitals?" Kirere and Dororo asked in unison, and Romama gave a yelp.

"I-I mean… I have my own training to do! I need to keep in shape… I don't want to end up some puffy old man like Mahihi."

He then took off his sword over his shoulder, cursing himself for letting this leak.

"He looks so normal, but I think really he's just as weird as Ojiisan…"

"I think I may have to agree with you, Kirere-chan," Dororo nodded, and the two decided to call it a day, with him walking her home.

Romama was also on his way somewhere as they ventured homeward. He managed to just slip into the doors as the people filed in, many dressed in what wasn't elegant nor casual wear, but more formal than usual.

They took their seats, and he scaled up to take his own, finding it in the form of a balcony he'd gone in and marked "do not enter" earlier in the day. This gave him one of the best seats in the house, and he perched himself up on the thin ledge, and awaited the start of the show anxiously. Then the lights went down, and it began. Out came the ballerinas, including Aya, who was the smallest among then.

"And then…" he muttered, nodding in approval as she carried out this action. Not as many mistakes as in previous shows, and her smile in recent weeks had begun to be a real one, not a fake one as she had worn for many shows previous.

He watched it the entire way through, with the excitement of someone watching a sports game. After all was finished, and the curtains closed, and bows were taken, all stood to clap, and Romama hopped down from his perch, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Huh?" Aya wondered aloud as after the show she found a small white piece of paper pinned to her bag. She removed it and opened it.

"YOU DID A GOOD JOB TONIGHT" written in poorly scribbled kana, as well as a signature, that didn't look either Japanese or English… She could've sworn it was something she'd seen before though, maybe Russian…

"You have a fan?" teased one of the girls as she passed by Aya, whose face went read. She quickly folded the white piece of paper again, and shoved it in her bag. Even with the teasing, there was still a happy grin on her face.

Kirere shut her eyes extra-tight at the sound of her door opening. She begged for it to be anything… Men in Black, Vampires, Kogoro… But from the abrupt way it was open it was clear who it was.

The past few days had been Giroro's attempts to train with her, and had left her with a great deal of mental duress, as well as a bandaged arm.

"Eh, what're you doing up?" she heard Giroro ask, and she moved away the pillow from the side of her head a bit to listen in.

"Kuku! She finished this but I wouldn't let her have it until she learned to drive it. For safety of the general population, of course."

"Whose did she make it from?"

"She made it from scratch. She's starting to make her own things, now, not just fix them, kuku!"

"That's impressive… Not something I could've done even at this age."

"Kuku, you don't think I know that? After all, you can't fit a square peg in a round hole," Kururu gave another laugh, and then slipped out.

"Him and his creepy vague sayings…" Giroro grumbled, then walked over and gently shook the girl. "Kirere, it's time to get up, we have to be there early."

This was serious… She had to go to extreme measures, her final option. He shook her once again, but this time as he did she gave a cough, and Giroro stopped.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"N-No, I feel really cold…" she lied, closing her eyes tightly. This was all to stay alive, she reminded herself. "And my stomach hurts… I think I might've ate something bad last night…."

"You feel a little warm," he admitted as he reached over and felt her forehead.

"I'll pack…" she sat up and gave another cough, and he eased her back down.

"You should stay in bed if you're not feeling well."

"But what about the—"

"It's fine, we'll see about next year. This will give us more opportunities to train for it," he answered, pulling the covers over her. "I'll go to watch it."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's all right. Get your rest," he turned and gave a sigh.

"Off the hook…" she sighed beneath her breath. "I'm sorry, Daddy…"

"Kukuku! My, that was a bit low…"

"Huh?" she raised her head again, and there was Kururu, leaning in the doorway. "Don't be mean to me, I'm sick…"

"Because you can catch a cold from something you ate. Right. Kuuukukuku! Sounds to me like you were just looking for an easy way out."

"You wouldn't? I'd get killed!" she yelped as she sat up fully on her bed.

"I'd at least try it, if I'd learn something. But who am I? Kukuku!" he wandered away from her, leaving her with her own thoughts. She gave a sigh of defeat and stood up from her bed, and pulled on her gloves.

"He wouldn't let me do anything that would kill me…" she reassured herself. "Now I've just got to—"

She looked over to her side, at something that caught her eye, "He knew I'd do it all along!" she groaned as she saw her bright purple backpack as well as he own hovercraft, which she'd only just finished. It was a darker purple, with a red and yellow yin-yang symbol on top of it. She pulled it out and pulled her backpack over her shoulders, and then hurried out.

Giroro was on his own hovercraft, headed towards the sight of the death match/picnic, when he looked over and to his right and saw Kirere flying with him. She gave a smile, "I got better!" she explained, and she could see it, even if her father said nothing. He was happy she was there, and he picked up his speed a little.

"Come on, it's about an hour away on this planet, we can make it in forty minutes if we're fast!"

"You got it!" Kirere answered, and picked up her own speed.

"Eh, Natsumi-dono, have you seen Giroro? Or Kirere, for that matter?" Keroro stopped sweeping momentarily to look up at the teenager, who was preparing to get ready for school.

"Huh? No, actually… That's weird…" she admitted.

"Kuku, they're halfway around the world about now," came Kururu's laugh, and for the first time they noticed him leaning against the wall of the kitchen.

"They… They went after all?!" Keroro yelped.

"That'd be what it looks like, wouldn't it? Kuku!"

"I guess all we can do now is hope they're okay… Eh, Stupid Frog? What're you doing?" she asked as she noted Keroro removing his bandanna and apron.

"I feel the sudden urge to visit one of your Pekoponian temples… I think if there should be higher authorities they should be on our side," Keroro answered.


	2. Kirere & Giroro: Galactic Challenge Pt2

Episode 1, Part 2:  
Kirere & Giroro: Intergalactic Challange!

"It's huge…" Kirere muttered to herself as they finally landed. They had gone through a heavy white fog over the ocean, only to come through and see a large island, with numerous ships, spacecraft, and small personal craft parked along its edges. "I don't think I've seen an island so big!"

'You… You live on one….' Giroro thought with a bit of disbelief, but kept this to himself. They parked their hovercrafts and then headed to the large hotel.

"Ah, she's a cute one!" said the clerk at the front check-in. Kirere couldn't quit staring up at the yellow alien, and all of its eyes… Giroro had to nudge the girl to quit her staring. "We don't get many father-daughter participants! Here's your key, have a good time while you're here!"

"We will. Come on, Kirere," Giroro led the little girl up the stairs and, while walking down the hall, she gave a little yelp as she bumped into an alien about her height.

"Watch it, shrimpy!" snapped the boy, and Giroro turned around, presumably to give a few choice words to the child, when he stopped short, giving a choke.

"Y-You…" he said weakly, and there came a resonance Kirere was unfamiliar with. She looked up and saw a full-grown Keronian, and a smaller one at his side who she assumed to be his son. The little boy wore a dark blue hat, like his father, but was a lime green with freckles, and almond shaped, red eyes. His symbol was the same as his father, who was about Giroro's age and height, and was teal, with a red symbol, and half-lidded eyes.

"Someone married you!? Tell me they were desperate," laughed the Keronian, who Giroro recognized in his childhood as the cause of much of his, Dororo, and Keroro's torment. "And what a prissy little runt you had! Pink?!"

"I'm light red!" Kirere shot back.

"That's enough!" Giroro snapped, taking a step in front of Kirere. "If you have something to say, we'll say it, and not in front of children."

"Whatever you say… I can't believe it, but your kid looks like even more of a pansy than you!" laughed the bully, and he patted his son on the shoulder. "Come on, we've got an event coming up."

"…Don't listen to them, we'll do just fine," Giroro reassured her as they walked into the bedroom. "I can't believe he's here… Or that he even got married... And before me."

"He wasn't a friend of yours when you were little, was he?"

"Far from," Giroro answered, setting down his suitcase on his bed. Kirere did the same, but opened it and pulled out a thin blue zip-up sweater. She felt cold…. It was either the ocean air, or fear setting it. "What do you say we go look at what sort of competitions they're having this year?"

"Yeah," she gave a weak smile and nodded, and the two walked out of the hotel and down to where the competitions were being held.

"Archery's a good one… Then there's, shooting, wrestling, survival, close combat, chi skills… Pottery," Giroro began to read through the list, Kirere looking a little less excited at every prospect. "The survival looks like something that doesn't take a lot of, well…"

"Coordination?"

"Y-Yes," he nodded, and folded up the list. "They send us to the middle of the forest area here, and we work to find our way back."

"So, it's like camping, with a race…."

"That's pretty much how it goes."

"Does it take a lot of time?"

"Hehe, want to put more than one competition in, I understand. We should be able to do some more tomorrow," he patted her on the head and grinned proudly. Kirere only gave a sigh… She couldn't destroy his happiness, it'd be too cruel.

"We should hurry and pick up supplies, come on," she nodded at this, and trudged along to follow him.

"Hrm…" she glanced up at a spear, and poked at it. It fell over in response, and Kirere hopped back, then attempted to right it once more. More spears began to fall down, and she eventually backed away, allowing for the spears to fall while she ran from the scene of the accident.

"Eh? There you are. Here," Giroro tossed a backpack into her arms, and she stumbled back a bit at the newfound weight. There was a yell of surprise, followed by a crash, and Kirere cringed; someone had found the spears, apparently, "Now it looks like all we need is a map."

"Huh?" Kirere drowned out what Giroro said after this, and instead wandered away from him, toward something she found a bit more interesting. It was the young boy from before, the one with the red eyes. He was bent over something, in the section specialized for things that were more along the lines of souvenirs…

"Seeds?" Kirere wondered aloud, and the boy jumped a foot in the air and spun around, dropping the packets he had been holding.

"Hey, back off, Shrimpy! What're you doing with that backpack, anyway?! You're actually here to compete?!"

"So you garden?"

"You really don't get it," he tossed aside the packets and huffed. "You don't know much about anything, do you? My dad told me all about yours… That the only reason he didn't get the pulp beat out of him more was because he had his big brother around. Your dad's a wimp, and you're just the same, I'm willing to bet. Get out of this while you still have a shot of making it out alive," he pushed his way past her and shuffled out of the store, and just about the same time Giroro walked up to a silent young girl.

"Kirere? Is everything all right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's fine," she nodded. "Can I buy something? It won't be too much, I promise!"

"All right. Let's just hurry, we've got a lot to do and only a little time to do it. It looks like they're out of maps here, we'll have to hope that there are some we can buy at the race."

"Right!" she brightened, and followed him to the register.

Kirere didn't sleep well at all that night, and looked it in the morning as they stood with the other competitors. A lot of them looked like serious fighters… Even some of the children had eyepatches and scars, she saw and gave a shiver at this. They were all lined at a front line, and from across the line of contestants the same young Keronian shot a glare at them.

"I'm going to die here, before I even have my first boyfriend," she said beneath her breath.

"Hopefully someone has a map around here for sale… Eh, did you say something?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing, nothing!" she shook her head, and then watched, and took a few steps back, as the young green Keron child walked over to them.

"Shrimpy! Here.… Proof I'm not heartless. My dad had an extra one, and you two looked like the only ones without one," the young boy grumbled, and held out a folded up map with both hands. He then turned and promptly away from them as Giroro accepted this.

"Thank you!" she called out and waved to him, and he flinched.

"Ugh… Cheery people are annoying," he mumbled all the while Giroro went to unfolding the map.

"...I don't know about this…" Giroro admitted as he looked it over. "There's something not right here. Why would they give us a map, of all people?"

"Maybe he's not like this dad, and only acts like a tough guy!" Kirere replied. "A lot of times kids don't take after their parents… He might be nicer. Plus it's all printed out, it looks real!" she jumped at the sound of a gunshot, and both looked ahead at the area in front of them.

"No time left to question it now. Come on, let's go!" he motioned, and they ran to one of the numerous helicopters lined up in front of the line.

"Hehe, this is kind of fun!" she admitted with a laugh as they took off and began to fly towards a heavily forested area ahead. "…So where're we going to land?!"

"Land?" Giroro blinked, and she saw he was putting on another backpack now.

"…What's that…?" she asked plainly, and then watched as one of the other pair of competitors threw themselves out of the helicopter's open side. She scooted all the way to the opposite wall of the helicopter, which she thought would be closed. As she tumbled out, giving a shrill scream, she realized that this side was also open.

"Kirere!" Giroro shouted and jumped out after her, and managed to grab hold of her after a few moments of grabbing at her. He opened his parachute, and down they both floated, into the middle of the woods. When they landed, Kirere clung onto the nearest tree, and panted.

"I missed the ground…" she mumbled to herself.

"I know you're accident prone, but to forget a parachute…. Let's just make that the one mistake this trip…"

"Y-Yeah… So what're we doing now?"

"We follow this map back to the site, but we have to be careful; they've laid traps all along the way," he spoke as he unfolded the map, then gave a sigh and a laugh.

"Huh? Something wrong?"

"I just haven't help this much like a soldier in years, is all," this statement cut Kirere like a knife, and he stood and folded the map back up. "This way, we'll head north!"

"Right!" she mustered all she could for confidence… But it was forced at best.  
The afternoon came soon, and Kirere gave a groan and took a seat on the forest floor, "I think we've been walking for hours now!"

"It's only been a few hours, we'll be fine," he answered, then caught a glimpse of the child. She looked exhausted and for some reason near tears. "Then again, every soldier needs his rest."

He sighed and took a seat next to her, and opened his backpack, and tossed her an energy bar.

"Curry flavor!?" she gasped and opened it up happily.

"Kururu gave some to me, before we left… I guess he does care when he wants to."

She wasn't listening much; she was too busy devouring the bar, "Mm, so good!"

"That ought to get us through until tonight. Come on, let's move out," he stood once again, and Kirere did the same, wobbling with the heavy weight of her bag.

"So, you and your dad did this a lot, right?"

"Survival missions, yes. Not this particular one, though, we—" an arm suddenly came out in front of her to stop her, and she looked up at her father, puzzled.

"What's wro—" He nodded downward, and she looked down, near their feet, and saw a small glint, "…What is it?"

"Trip wire," he answered, taking a step over it and helping her over it afterward. "We've got to be more vigilant for those things, they-"

"Kyyaaa!"

Giroro slapped a hand over his forehead, and didn't even look up at the pink Keron girl, who was swinging from a tree by rope tied around her feet.

"More vigilant. Got it!" she answered, giving a thumbs up while she still swung back and forth.

"How much further now? It feels like we've gone in a big circle!" she asked, panting and leaning against a tree, and Giroro looked up from his map, and then stood there, shaking, then crumpled it a bit in his hands.

"This tree… It's the third time we've passed it…" he said quietly. "This map is a trick. We feel like we've been going in a circle because we have been going in a circle!"

"What?!" she gasped and ran over to him, then stood at his side to look it over, "But… It looks like the right course!"

"I should've known better… I should have trusted my own instincts…" Giroro cursed to himself, making the map into a ball and then throwing it as far as he could. Kirere jumped a bit at this action, and began to sputter out an apology quiet.

"That's enough," Giroro said sharply, quieting her muttered, and she flinched. "We'll have to make camp for the night, probably. It's getting dark already, so maybe they'll send a search party."

"Can't we radio for help?"

"No reception here," Giroro answered, and then pulled his bag off of his shoulders and looked around. "I could probably get us out of here tomorrow, but it's too dangerous now."

He went to unpack the tent, and stopped as Kirere went to help, "I've got this… Just rest."

"Oh… Okay…" she nodded, and backed away, and wandered a short ways away from the camp, to a clearing where she could see the sky a bit better. "Stupid contest! I didn't want to do this dumb thing in the first place!"

"What?"

"Huh? Oh, I… I didn't mean it like…" Kirere stuttered to her father, who had come to find her. "What I mean is, but…."

But Giroro was gone, and Kirere gave a groan and buried her face in the palms of her hands.

Giroro packed up in silence while Kirere finished off her food, also silent, "We can follow the direction of the sun; I can get us back from there."

"Right," she took up her bag and followed him through the woods, until she couldn't take the quiet anymore. "I'm really sorry about last night! Really! I was tired when I was saying that, I didn't mean it, I—"

"Kirere, be quiet."

"But—"

"No, listen," he instructed her, and she stopped next to him, and tilted up her head to hear.

"What is that, yelling?"

"It sounds like someone in trouble… They're far away, so we have to hurry. Come on!" he instructed, and she followed, Giroro grabbing her backpack as she continued run and nearly fell from a sharp cliff.

"Huh?"

"Well… Look at who it is…" Giroro sighed as the young green Keronian ran over to them, looking frantic.

"Finally, somebody came! No one was answering our flairs!" the young boy shouted out, all while waving his arms rapidly. "My dad fell off on here! He can't climb back up!"

Giroro looked over the edge with Kirere, and sure enough there was the bully, on a small ledge and seemingly out cold. He straightened back up and looked at the boy, "You're going to have to do a little bit better than that."

"W-What?! No, he really is, honest!" the boy flailed his arms. "We need help!"

"I think he's telling the truth this time…" Kirere said, now a bit of worry building in her voice as well. "Maybe… Maybe we should help them, even if they did that stuff with the map."

"What stuff with the map?" the boy repeated, frowning. Giroro tossed it at him.

"The fake map you gave us," Giroro explained as the boy unfolded it and looked it over.

"My… My dad gave me this to give you…" the boy answered in mumble as he studied the map, then closed it. "I… This really wasn't my idea! I swear it wasn't!"

"So it's his doing… Figures he wouldn't grow up, even after all of these years," Giroro snorted.

"So are we going to help him?" Kirere asked.

"I guess we have no choice… It's not the kid's fault who his dad is, after all," Giroro looked over the edge again and then back to Kirere. "Look and see if there's anything for mountain climbing."

"No, but we've got the sleeping bags!" Kirere answered, and the boy shot back at her.

"This isn't anytime to take a nap, you idiot!"

Kirere's head snapped over to him, and Giroro's eyes went wide. Sensing a conflict rising, he hopped in between the two.

"We can tear it up and use it to make a rope down to him," Kirere suggested.

"Or we could just use our rope," the young boy answered, holding up a bundle of brown rope, and he then went to tie it to one of the trees while Giroro looked back down at the fallen bully.

Soon Giroro was scaling down cautiously, the two children watching him over the edge of the cliff as he did so. Both breathed a sigh of relief as he managed to pick up the bully Keronian and heave him over his shoulder, and then he started back up. The children we so intent on watching this, neither realized the rope slipping out of its knot around the tree, and barely had time to grab onto it as it nearly flew past them. Both gripped onto it at the last moment, and Giroro looked down in a panic at the fall beneath him. His fate was in the hands of two children… He didn't have a good feeling about this.

"Pull!" the boy shouted, taking a step back.

"I am!" Kirere shouted in return, and they took another small step back, continuing to do so until they gave a hard tug, falling back onto the ground and sending the two grown men flying into the sky. The bully's child broke Giroro's fall.

"Ugh… My head's spinning…" the young boy moaned as Giroro groggily climbed off of him.

"Kirere?! Kirere, where are you!?"

"Under here!" came a muffled cry from beneath the bully, and a small had wriggled out, begging for rescue.

"That's the best I can do," Giroro said as he finished bandaging around the bully's head, and the teal Keronian gave no answer.  
"Hey, Dad, this little runt got our locator working again!" the boy called out and rushed over to his father, the electronic device in hand. Giroro saw the proud look on Kirere's face as she still held a screwdriver in one hand, and gave his own.

It was a little ways away from the finish line, and by the time they made it the sun was setting again. The bully has forced to lean on Giroro for support, and still remained silent and humbled. Kirere talked nonstop to the boy, who eventually rolled his eyes and asked, "Are you sure you're not a robot with an off switch somewhere!?"

The bully and his son crossed the line, followed by Kirere and Giroro. He noticed the girl looked a bit upset, and she muttered and kicked at the ground.

"I'm sorry I made us come in last…" she said apologetically to him, daring not to look her father in the eye. "And that I didn't want to go."

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you before I did it," Giroro added, tilting her head up. "I forget that you like doing different things… But it was still good training for us."

"Really? I… I don't feel like I was useful a whole lot."

"Even a small part's still an important part," Giroro answered. "And the main idea of this whole event is to have a good time, not to be the best…"

"Yeah, I had fun, too," she admitted with a smile. "So do you think we could do this next year?!"

"If they have it. We'll have to see how many insurance claims they have to sort through, first," he patted her on the head as they walked back toward their hotel.

"Bye!" Kirere waved as she turned back to the departing contestants as she and her father were preparing for the flight home. "Oh! I have to give something to someone! I'll be right back!" she said to her father, and was off before Giroro could protest.

She practically tackled the Keron boy as she spotted him, and he jumped at the sight of her pleasant grin, "…What do you want, a handshake?"

"No, I wanted to give you these!" she answered, pulling out a few packets of seeds from one of her gloves. "I saw you looking at them, but you forgot to pick them up!"

"Come on, we're late already!" snapped the father.

"I'll come when I'm ready!" the boy shouted back. "…Thanks, Shrimpy."

"Maybe you could pay me back by showing me around Keron if I visit!"

"Sure. Whatever," he then waved her off and turned away, but looked at the packets of seeds and gave a small laugh.

The ride home didn't seem nearly as long as the ride there, but Kirere and Giroro were both disturbed at the setup that greeted them when they arrived at the Hinata household. The living room was set up like a wake, complete with flowers, candles, and pictures. Kirere was mortified as she saw the pictures with black bands over them were of her and her father. Keroro was there, along with Mois and Tamama, who seemed to be grieving. Natsumi and Fuyuki were puzzled, and Kururu looked on in amusement.

"Keroro!" Giroro greeted the Keronian with a kick to the rear that sent him flying across the room. "What's the meaning of this?! It… It's morbid!"

"Kii-chi, you're alive!" Tamama grinned.

"Kuku… Good, it looks like that money didn't go to waste, after all."

"Kirere-chan! Giroro Goucho!" Keroro sprang up and hugged both. "As sad as I am that I lost our pool, I'm happy to see you alive! You… Are alive, right?"

"What pool?!" Giroro demanded, taking Keroro by the neck.

"Kuku… Whether or not to see if you made it home alive or not," Kururu explained. "Now I expect everyone to pay up."

"Yes, Kururu Soucho was the only one to bet that you'd make it back in one piece!" Keroro admitted while Giroro still held him by the neck.

"Kuku, I like betting on the long shots," Kururu explained. Kururu then gave a choke as Giroro took him by the neck as well, and held out the two annoyances. Kirere tugged at her father's arm, begging him to let them go.

"Nee-chan, do you think we should step in?" Fuyuki asked.

Natsumi crossed her arms and sighed, "I would if I knew what the heck was going on here."

And through the back sliding glass door Romama walked in, two bags of fruit in his hands. He took one look at this, gave a sigh and a shake of the head, and quietly slid the door back, leaving the fruit there but not bothering to get involved in the bizarre fight, "…I want to know, but my better judgment says to let them be."

He heard a crash from inside the house, the beginnings of a growl from Natsumi, and he hurried his pace away from the house.


	3. Mr Fujuju's Wild Ride Pt 1

Episode 2, Part One: Fujuju: Mr. Fujuju's Wild Ride

"Hullsy! Martin, Maggie! Martin, Oliver! Burgess! And finally, Nash!" called out the teacher as she finished passing back tests. Two blonde-haired, blue-eyed children looked up from their papers to one another and returned mirror grins. The boy revealed his paper, then the girl revealed hers, showing a higher grade. She stuck out her tongue and he sighed and slumped down in his chair. Then the bell sounded, and both were out like a light.

"You know of course that this means I get to choose where we go this weekend," said the girl proudly as they walked down the hall side-by-side.

"But you want to go the Antarctic, and that's going to be boring!" he sighed with a groan.

"Like the jungle's so much better?"

"Yeah, they've got them… Jaguars! And spiders as big as dinner plates!"

"…We're going to Antarctica, and that's that."

"We're home!" called Maggie as she opened the door, and both shuddered at the sound of pots clamoring in the kitchen. Oliver poked his head in first, and the girl standing the destroyed kitchen turned around, looking distraught. It looked as though bags of flour had blown up in the kitchen, and Maggie kicked at a pot accidentally as she took another step into the kitchen.

"Fantastic, I was just starting on lunch for us!" the older girl said, holding out a pot proudly. Both twins put hands on their mouths at the sight of the green bubbling stew.

"What… What is that?" Oliver began.

"Corned beef!" she answered. "It should be done in a little while!"

"We're actually…. Going to go have lunch with our tutor, Frannie," Maggie replied, and Oliver nodded. The girl with two long purple pigtails and bright blue eyes looked a bit crestfallen at this, and held it out.

"Are you sure you don't want to try at least a li—"

"We'll bring you back something, so don't fill up!" Maggie called out, rushing to the door with Oliver next to her.

"That was close," Maggie sighed, wiping her forehead.

"You're telling me! I think I saw a bloody tentacle floating around in that mess!"

"She tries so hard… I feel bad sometimes…"

"Think of it as survival. There's no way we'd survive eating that another day, and we don't have to sneak off and eat fast food anymore."

"I guess so," they came to an old red phone booth, its clear glass windows covered in black paper and a sign over it that red "out of service". Both children looked to their right, then their left, and both shuffled in, coming out into a large library/laboratory, stuffed with books, various machines, beakers, and electric heaters, as well as a metal staircase that led up to an open air kitchen.

"Something smells great!" Oliver exclaimed, while Maggie looked over on a small table to the mail, the topmost piece being a postcard.

"Who's he know in Japan?" she asked herself quietly, lifting it up.

"Ah, children! Terrific you're here!" Fujuju looked up from his stove and grinned widely. "I just finished making lunch! I hope sandwiches and homemade vegetable soup are all right!"

"You're a lifesaver!" Oliver said as he hopped up the stairs to the kitchen and dining area.

"Fujufujufuju!" the Keronian gave a wide, proud smile as his handiwork and removed the white apron he had been wearing.

"We got our tests back! I got higher than Oliver!"

"By two points!"

"It's still higher!"

"Now, now… We know the rules, whoever gets higher on their exams gets to pick what we do for the weekend, and this weekend we chose where Maggie wants to go," Fujuju explained as he took his seat with the children.

"I want to see who this person is that sent you this postcard," Maggie answered, holding up the card with the Nishizawa Peach Group Logo on its front.

"Wow, it's decorated in goldleaf! You know someone this fancy!?" Oliver gasped, and turned it around. "They can't write worth anything…"

"It's written in Japanese!... Clown," Maggie grumbled. "Eh, Fujuju? What's wrong with you?"

"Well… I suppose we could visit, I just don't know if it's the safest thing to do…" Fujuju admitted anxiously, looking off ward.

"Not the safest?" Maggie repeated.

"WHAAAAA make it stop, make it stop!" Keroro cried as the motorcycle flew out of his room, through the living room, and straight out a wall.

"…Still has too much of a kick, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled as he and Kirere stuck their heads out of the base room. Natsumi still stood there, stunned and wondered what had just happened, and Giroro rushed into the living room, guns drawn.

"Natsumi, are you all right?!" he asked quickly, and her mouth only twitched.

"What… What just happened….?" Natsumi asked.

"We told him that new part was a bad idea," Kirere sighed. Keroro stumbled back into the home, gray with soot and looking a bit dazed himself.

"A nice truck broke my fall…." he mumbled before passing out onto the ground.

"He'll live," Pururu announced as she placed a light on Keroro's other eye and examined it, then shut it off. She sighed and then looked over at the rest of the platoon, who was lined up as they watched her work. "I've known you all a little too long to ask what you were doing…"

"That's probably for the best, Pururu. Thank you again for wasting your time with this idiot," Giroro snorted.

"It's no problem, I never mind it if it's for a friend!" she answered with a smile.

"She's so much nicer than Chunini, I wish she was the one who came over and ate all of our food and ran up our phone bills instead," Kirere sighed longingly.

"Who's Chunini?" Pururu asked, tilting her head, and before the young girl had said anything, Giroro and Tamama were already there with their hands over her mouth.

"Uhhhhh… It's Kururu Soucho's sister's name!" Tamama replied quickly.

"Yes, that's right!" Giroro nodded.

"I thought Kururu's sister was Kirere-chan's mom… And she'd passed away," Pururu blinked. Kururu only gave a laugh and shuffled away.

"I'm out of this one," the yellow scientist chuckled, opening the fridge and taking his leave.

"All right, we didn't want to say anything, but she's Kururu's girlfriend, he's just keeping it quiet," Giroro explained.

"Hardly, kuku!" came Kururu's call from the other side of the fridge door.

"She must be a very strong woman," Pururu said with a forced pleasant smile.

"She's definitely something else," Tamama sighed, and Giroro only shut his eyes and folded his arms in silent agreement.

"I should really be getting back now, we've got an assignment, but we were in the neighborhood," Pururu held up her hand to wave goodbye, and it was peaceful. For all of five seconds. Then through the door darted two flying streaks, zooming around until suddenly coming to a sudden stop.

"What's going on now?! Stupid Frog, did you do this again?!" Natsumi shouted, rushing into the room and then stopping as she saw the two puzzled, blonde-haired teens on matching brooms. "F-Foreigners?... On brooms?"

"Wow, these pins Fujuju gave us really do work!" Maggie gasped, looking down at the pin on her jacket, which matched Fujuju's own symbol.

"No kidding! I understand her just like she was speaking English!" Oliver added with an excited grin, which quickly then left. "Say, where'd he run off to, anyway?"

"Down here…" he grunted, and rose from the floor, clutching the back of his head. "My, you both grossly forgot your manners just now!"

"Sorry, we don't have the best control of these yet!" Maggie answered apologetically.

"Fujuju-san!" Tamama gasped happily. "What're you doing here?!"

"They asked to come see my friends, and I obliged… These are my pupils, Oliver and Maggie Martin," Fujuju stood and straightened his scarf, and stepped aside to introduce the two, who were now off of their brooms and standing side by side.

"Fujuju? Who's that?" Pururu asked aloud, and Giroro yelped, being the lone person left alone to answer this.

"But a humble scholar, my dear," Fujuju answered with a polite bow to her. "Kirere-chan, this must be your older sister?"

"Ummm no actually she's pretty old, like my dad's age," Kirere answered, and Pururu flinched at this.

"Well I certainly wouldn't have known!" Fujuju replied, widening his toothy grin. "Please pardon our intrusion. You, too, Miss Hinata. I'll have fixed whatever the children damaged."

"Ugh, why couldn't you have been the one my brother found! Come on, I'll show you the hole Stupid Frog made earlier, maybe you can fix it…"

"I'll certainly do the best I can," Fujuju answered as they walked out.

"Gero… Why do I feel as though I'm being talked about?" Keroro raised his head wearily and shook it, then stopped, fixating upon the two unfamiliar pairs of legs. His eyes then traveled up until he was looking at the faces of the Martin twins. "You… You…."

"Gunso-san, it's all right, they're with Fujuju-san!" Tamama exclaimed, holding up his hands in protest.

"YOU'RE WEARING SHOES ON THE CARPET!" Keroro cried, in full panic mode.

"He's a weird one," Maggie muttered as Keroro continued to seethe. Oliver turned to her and grinned.

"I like him!"

"There, that should it, good as new!" Fujuju stood and looked back at his handiwork proudly, a bizarre-looking hammer still in his hand.

"I'll never get this clean!" Keroro grumbled from his room as he continued to vacuum the carpet, all while shaking his head. Oliver and Maggie sat in the living room, across from a puzzled Natsumi.

"So we sent out an ad online for a tutor, and before you knew it he answered! Our sister's an artist, but she has a lot of other odd jobs, too, so she's happy we've got a friend to be around a lot, since she's gone so much," Maggie finished. "How did you meet your friend?"

"My younger brother… Weird things like this seem to follow him…" Natsumi answered with a sigh.

"Nee-chan, I'm home! Gunso, I have the model you wa—Huh!? Who're you?" Fuyuki asked, startled at the presence of the two strangers.

"These are the Martin twins… Fujuju brought them," Natsumi explained, and Fuyuki scratched the back of his head, not quite sure what to think of them.

"Hey, let's take a tour!" Oliver exclaimed. "With this many aliens around, there's got to be a lot of fun weird things around here!"

"Tama-chan, would you mind helping me entertain the guests?" Fujuju asked, and Tamama looked up from the gift Fujuju had brought; a large, blue tin of cookies, which he was quickly working his way through.

"Sure, come on!"

"No way!" Giroro barked. "Whenever you show someone around the base, something awful happens! I'm putting a stop to this now!"

"You sort of look like a piranha when you're mad like that…" said Oliver after a pause.

"You little—That's it!" Giroro snarled, and went for the boy, but Natsumi quickly lifted him up by the shoulders and looked at him plainly.

"Be nice to the guests," she instructed him.

"N… Natsumi…."

"If they keep Stupid Frog busy, then I'm all for it!" Natsumi set him back on the floor and brushed aside one of her pigtails. "Just try not to damage anything in here, or end the earth."

"Oh, I think we're at least that reliable!" Oliver laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"C'mon, I'll show you the pool!" Tamama exclaimed, taking off in a run with the twins following him quickly and Fujuju being more leisurely in his walk.

Natsumi didn't notice that he'd left behind the hammer he'd used to repair the wall. Neither did Fuyuki as he followed his sister to help with dinner. And Giroro grumbled and was too busy with his foul mood to notice it there. It was only when Keroro walked out and was totally alone that he spied it from across the room, and shuffled over to it.

"Fancy… What a work of craftsmanship!" he muttered to himself as he studied it, and yelped and turned around as he heard the clearing of someone's throat, being sure to hide it behind his back and Pururu stood across from him with her hands on her hips.

"Keroro-kun, what's going on? I'm feeling like everyone's got something to hide here these days!" Pururu said with a sigh of disappointment. "Every time I come there's someone new who I've never even heard of, and I've known you, Dororo-kun, and Giroro-kun for years!"

"Ehhhh well…" Keroro looked to either side for escape, and found none. "All right… Pururu-chan, the truth is that…."

By the time he had finished the tale of Romama being his uncle, finding an ancient Keronian Platoon, and Kirere really being the result of genetic experimentation with Kururu and Giroro's DNA, her brow was twitching.

"Gero? Pururu-chan, is… Is everything all right? I know it's an awful lot to take in, but it feels as though everything's been topsy turvy lately! Like we're constantly in sweeps week!"

"If it was something you didn't want to tell me, you could have told me that, instead of making up some wild story," Pururu answered.

"But… But I…."

"If it's a prank you're all trying to pull on me, it's a childish one," she added, turning and stomping away from him.

"….This is why I'm not married," Keroro slumped his shoulders, and gave a sigh of relief, "Still, part of me is happy she didn't believe it… Now to more important matters! What is this thing, exactly?" he asked himself, examining the hammer.

"So what was that thing you used to patch up the wall quickly like that, Fujuju-san?" Tamama asked as they walked along, and Fujuju smiled proudly.

"Some old memories of my days when we were still working on the technology for the Kero Balls used today! I was on the original manufacturing team…. I couldn't remember exactly what went into them, but I still retained enough to make something fairly useful!"

"Wow, that's—Wait, where did those Pekoponian twins go?" Tamama swiveled around and noticed they were now alone in the long silver hallway.

"Ohhh dear," was Fujuju's quiet response.

"What's this place?" Maggie asked quietly as she followed in behind her brother cautiously.

"Looks almost like a garden…" he muttered, and stopped, taking her and pulling her to a wall that hid them both.

"Looks like it's another one!" Maggie whispered as Dororo walked in, looking ready to garden with his tools in hand.

"How many are there, you think?" Oliver asked. "…What's he doing, gardening?"

"Aw, looks pretty harmless, eh?" Maggie whispered with a smile, and gave a yelp as three shuriken landed on the wall next to them.

"Who's there?" Dororo demanded, now with his sword drawn and looking ready to take the attackers.

"Guess he's not harmless after all…" Maggie whispered, and Dororo came closer to them, losing his battle-ready look as he laid eyes on them and switching to pleasant and cheerful Dororo. "Ah, Fujuju-dono's Pekoponian friends! I heard you were visiting!"

"News travels fast," Oliver said, still shaking a bit.

"I… I was there in the living room with you, actually…." Dororo answered.

"Really? We didn't see you there…." Maggie said, and then watched as Dororo fell into his trauma mode before their eyes. "Did… Did I say something wrong?"

"Maybe we should just go," Oliver said, taking his sister by the shoulders and leading her out.

"They've got to be here somewhere… Maggie! Oliver!" Fujuju called out.

"Maybe Kii-chi's seen them, I saw her go back down here…" Tamama said aloud, and Fujuju continued to look anxious as they got off of the conveyer belt and went to search in a room.

"What do you think this place is?" Maggie asked and she kicked about at the gears stern on the floor, along with the numerous parts and pieces of machines littering the floor everywhere.

"Whoever it is, they have horrible taste in music," Oliver answered as he looked over the stack of CDs on the workbench table.

"Looks like they were working on something…" Maggie poked at the silver, soccer-ball sized ball, and yelped as it floated up and opened, seemingly coming to life and opening to reveal two white, Keroro-like eyes. It spun around them, studying them, and then gave a few odd clicking noises.

"Hehe, maybe it's friendly, too!" Oliver exclaimed. It answered with the fire of a laser, which missed him by inches and instead melted the metal sheet next to him.

It continued to fire, and the twins continued to dodge, until there came a yell of a young girl, and Kirere shouted out, "Kero-Bot, Stop!"

The ball then fell to the ground, as quiet as before, and Kirere lifted it back up, studying it, "Looks like some of it overheated…."

"We're… We're really sorry…." Maggie bent down, and Kirere looked up and smiled.

"It's okay, it's better it got caught now!" she answered cheerily, hopping up onto her stool and going to work with a small screwdriver.

"So… You're sure you're not upset…?" Maggie asked.

"No, it's fine! I'm just glad no one got shot this time!"

"T-This time?" Oliver yelped, and Maggie pulled him along to follow her out.

"…Where'd the bolts go….?" Kirere asked herself, stopping and reaching for one of the drawers. She felt for the handle a few times, missing each time, then looked down, horrified to see a hole going straight through the drawer. She then looked up and noticed that it was only one of many holes in her workshop, and her jaw fell.

Tamama and Fujuju both heard the scream and crying that followed, and rushed to Kirere's workshop.

"Kii-chi, what happened?!" Tamama asked, rushing to his adopted little sister.

"They… They…"

"Which way did they go?" Fujuju asked, and she pointed in the direction they had gone while still in hysterics.

"Thanks!" Tamama called, and shuddered as she answered with another long, loud cry.

"There you two are!" Fujuju sighed as he found the two in Kururu's lab, Kururu not looking his usual cool.

"I want them out or they're food for my next project," he instructed Tamama in an unusually abrupt tone.

"Hehe…. We seemed to cause more trouble than we thought we would," Oliver said apologetically.

"We'll take care of whatever we messed up, honest!" Maggie answered, and Fujuju went to speak, but was knocked off of his feet by a sudden shaking, as the rest in the room were.

"What's going on now?!" Tamama cried out.

"I'm not sure… But I don't think they're the source of it this time!" Fujuju returned.


	4. Mr Fujuju's Wild Ride Pt 2

Episode 2: Mr. Fujuju's Wild Ride  
Part 2

They rushed back up from the underground base, Kururu, Kirere, and Dororo joining them along the way. When they finally reached Keroro's room, Maggie, who was at the head, nearly fell back—A small green robot went zooming past her head, and they looked around and noticed it was not the only one… All of the Gunpla had come to life and were firing their weapons, flying, or stomping on the ground, with Keroro sitting up on top of a new wooden shelving unit, shaking as he looked down at the battle ground in his room.

"Gunso-san!" Tamama called out, and went running for his superior, Fujuju revealing a black umbrella and opening it then following the little black tadpole, protecting them both from the Gunpla assaults with the umbrella along the way.

"Looks like someone pressed the organic activation!" Fujuju said as he climbed up the shelf with Tamama, kicking a Gunpla from his foot as he did so. "But how would they—Wait a moment… Where's my hammer?"

"Hammer?" Keroro repeated. "It… It didn't happen to be blue and silver, did it?"  
"…Oh dear…" Fujuju dropped his head as Keroro lifted up the very hammer shakily. "That's why all of these little toys are running around… And the force of the activation caused the tremors… My, they're causing… Quite a mess… Quite a few explosions and such… Still it's lovely.."

"You… You mean this thing does things like that?" Keroro asked.

"Yeah, it's as powerful as a Kero Ball!" Tamama answered.

"W-WHAT?! I… I could've taken over this planet with something I was finishing off my new Gunpla display cases with!?" Keroro choked.

"Fujuju-san, how do we make them stop?" Tamama asked as he dodged a Gunpla that flew too close to his head. Fujuju was gone now, however. "Tama? Where did he?..."

"They got the door opened!" Kirere cried out .

"Bloody—They're spilling out into the house!" Oliver added. "And Fujuju went with them…"

"He had the look," Maggie muttered, and Oliver shot his head over to her, looking worried now as well and noticing the small explosions the Gunpla gave when they fired.

"Everyone, follow me!" Dororo demanded, and pulled out his sword, he sliced through the Gunpla (God of Gunpla forgive us) with the others following, Maggie carrying Kirere and Kururu on Oliver's back.

"Ow! Stupid little thing!" Maggie yelped as one gripped onto her leg, and she kicked it away.

"Come on, Gunso-san, I'll get you out of here!... Gunso-san?" Keroro had gone stark white, and Tamama waved a hand in front of his mentor. "Gunso-san?"

"….Tamama-chan, leave me here… A good captain goes down with his ship…" Keroro said dully as he watched Dororo slice through some more of the Gunpla and lead the group out of the room. It wasn't much different in the living room itself. Little Gunpla were shooting lasers, causing little explosions everywhere. The Hinata children and Mois, who had come back into the house recently, were wearing cooking pots for helmets, and Natsumi was fending the Gunpla off for the three of them with a skillet and a ladle, knocking away the hoards with the metal object.

"Maggie, do you see Fujuju?" Oliver asked, and she shook her head.

"Natsumi!" Giroro rushed in from his tent, guns drawn, and began to take down the Gunpla, doing a fair amount of damage to the house in the process.

Tamama led Keroro out of the room by the hand, and Keroro leaned against the wall and slid down it slowly as he saw this unfold.

"These things are even more annoying when they're shooting at us!" Natsumi cried out. "They just keep coming! How many has Stupid Frog made, anyway!?"

"Kuku, it's in the hundreds, by my estimates," Kururu replied. Kirere hopped out of Maggie's grasp and retrieved her large wrench-shaped weapon, and began to fight off the Gunpla herself.

"I'm going to go look for him!" Maggie called out while Oliver yelped and went to put out a fire that had started on the curtains.

"So many beautiful little blasts… Need a bigger one if they want to do it right!" Fujuju grumbled from his place outside of the house, looking over at the fire in front of Giroro's tent and laughing, then going back what he now preoccupied himself with; setting little black orbs around the house.

"Fujuju!" Maggie stopped short as she saw him, but he paid no heed to her. "Come on, snap out of it! You can see all of the nice blasts inside!"

"They aren't big enough!" Fujuju snapped. "They're doing it all wrong! I'll show them how to make a good one! That's my favorite game…." he followed this with another laugh, and Maggie eyed the fire next to Giroro's tent, and stepped it front of it, just as Fujuju turned around to it.

"You're blocking the show," he snapped, but she held her ground and gulped a bit.

"You're getting past this! All of your hard work will have been for nothing!" she cried out, and the corner of his mouth twitched a bit.

"Ma… Maggie, I… I can't, I…YEOUCH!" Maggie shuffled back a bit as Fujuju gave the cry of surprise, and he then collapsed to the ground. Pururu stood over him, her large syringe weapon in one hand, her other wiping her forehead.

"I saw him going out here, I thought he was hurt," Pururu explained as Maggie scooped him up. "…What're those—They're what I think they are, aren't they?"

"….He has a bit of a problem we're working on," Maggie answered in reference to the small black bombs he'd been planting. "I'll take care of the mess… This isn't the first time."

"Keroro, see if you can use that thing again!" Giroro called out as he shot at another Gunpla, then pulled off one that had fallen on top of his head, and then kicked off one that had latched onto one of his legs.

"What's the point of living anymore, anyway?" Keroro asked numbly.

"Gunso!" Fuyuki called out.

"Stupid Frog, do it or I'll make sure Mama knows this was all your doing!" Natsumi snapped.

"General Mom?" Keroro perked up a bit at this. "That could be a problem…"

"Wait, didn't Fujuju-san take it back?" Tamama asked, and just as he said this Maggie rushed back in, Pururu clearing her way to Keroro. She knelt down next to the green Keronian and pulled out the hammer from the same blanket she had Fujuju wrapped in.

"Please tell me other aliens know how to work these things, too!" she asked, and Keroro took it and studied it.

"Which button was it again…?" Keroro wondered aloud, examining it.

"Ojiisama!" Mois shouted out.

"Stupid Frog!" Natsumi growled.

"S-So much pressure the main character has to contend with! I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" Keroro called back. "If I'm not mistaken, it was… This one!"

He pressed the button and hit the hammer on the floor, but this only resulted in large gusts of wind suddenly swirling about.

"Wrong one, wrong one!" Keroro yelped, gripping onto the side of a doorway for dear life as he swung in the hurricane-speed winds. "I… I don't remember what one it was!"

"Just press one, you fool!" Giroro shouted, catching Kirere as she went flying by him and holding onto the counter tightly with her gripping onto him.

"All right!... So impatient," Keroro muttered and then gripped onto the hammer, pressing a random series of buttons as he did this and hitting the floor with the hammer. The winds stopped and all crashed to the ground, including what was left of the Gunpla soldiers.

Natsumi sat up, her head still spinning and her hair a mess. The hair of the other humans and lone Angol wasn't much better.

"Megane, megane…" Kururu muttered as he felt the floor around him, searching for the glasses that had gone missing in the winds.

"Can you say, was blind but now can see?" Mois asked with a grin as she passed him his glasses.

"Boy, they weren't kidding when they said Japan was a strange place!" Oliver laughed, and Maggie answered this by taking one of the Gunpla and throwing it at him.

"PURUPURUPURUPURUPURUPURUPURU," Pururu's resonance managed to put the damaged house back in order while the rest of the platoon helped work on cleanup as well and Maggie still sat on the couch, holding Fujuju in her arms like a small child.

"The nice red piranha-looking one got rid of the bombs, Mag!" Oliver announced as he walked back inside, and Giroro grit his teeth at this, and began to go off on the blonde boy, but was quickly stopped as Natsumi walked past him, tossing him a trash bag and nearly knocking him over.

"Take that out and make sure there's nothing sticking out that Mama will see when she pulls up!" Natsumi barked, and Giroro grumbled but relented all the same.

"Eh… Did I… I got carried away again, didn't I?" Fujuju asked as he came to, a bit of a shamed tone in his voice as he looked at the cleanup effort around him.

"Hey on the bright side you didn't do most of the destruction!" Oliver grinned as he took a seat next to his sister and Fujuju, and their tutor wriggled up out of the blanket and sat up, rubbing his head.

"I'm sorry…" he muttered. "You know I hate getting that way in front of you two."

"Ah, just makes you more interesting is all!" Oliver answered, rubbing him on top of the head playfully while Maggie gave a small laugh. "Now don't go putting yourself down. You're still a lot smarter than either of us!"

"That should about do it," Pururu announced happily as she finished and rubbed her now slightly sore throat a bit.

"One last thing I have to do. I promise no pyrotechnics involved," Fujuju hopped down from the couch and wandered into Keroro's room, otherwise unnoticed.

"A good chance to clear my collection and make with anew anyhow!" Keroro convinced himself as he stacked another brown cardboard box of Gunpla figure pieces in the corner then took a step back and looked at them. "…But to have all of my hard work regulated to two boxes of junk."

"My exact feelings when I worked in chemistry," Fujuju said good-humoredly as he stood behind Keroro. "But that's all due to an unfortunate incident with a burner… I feel badly for this, so I was hoping you'd allow me to take a look at those boxes of yours, Keroro-chan?"

"Hrm? Well, if you can find some use for them, Fujuju-san…."

Fujuju nodded, and pulled out his hammer, then pressed a few of the buttons, "Set function to… "Back to the way you were"…." He then swung with all of his might, and there was a blue flash, but the boxes both looked the same.

"That's it?" Keroro blinked.

"That's it," Fujuju answered, sounding content as he walked out, the hammer over his one arm.

"He sure is a few cogs loose of a working clock…." Keroro muttered, then walked over and peered into the box. "My… My Gunpla, back to-" the followed by a huge cheer, and Keroro had a rough time making the turn out of his room without hitting the wall next to it.

"Fujuju-san! You… You… You fixed the damaged Gunpla, all of them! Are you sure there's no way we could trade you out for Kururu Soucho!?" Keroro asked, and Fujuju gave a little bit of an embarrassed laugh.

"No way, this one's ours," Oliver lifted up the chartreuse Keronian and held him underneath the arms, and Fujuju didn't seem to mind much. In fact he seemed quite pleased to be doing good.

"Could you at least maybe give us the blueprints to that nice device of yours?" Keroro asked, pointing to the hammer in Fujuju's one hand.

"I'm sorry, Keroro-chan, but I destroyed them… The blueprints for this and the recipe for my toffee cookies are two things I will never shared with the world," Fujuju said apologetically, and Keroro gaped at this. "It was just too much power, that's why the Ballhammer is only designed to do smaller things."

"Just a little hint?" Keroro asked, and at this Natsumi lifted him up by the head. It was then that Keroro saw Kururu, who had the strangest look on his face. "Gero…. You heard that whole thing about wanting to replace you, didn't you, Kururu Soucho?"

"Kukukukukukukuku…." Was Kururu's only response as he stalked back to his lab.

"I have a feeling that that means I'm going to pay for my words later," Keroro muttered.

"We'll have to do this again sometime," Maggie said with a nervous smile and a tiny bit of a bow. "We'll give you more warning next time."

"Are you two going home so soon?" Fuyuki asked.

"Yeah, our sister doesn't like us out too late close to school nights," Oliver answered.

"Plus there's the matter of a biology test you're both taking," Fujuju folded his arms, and both children gave a groan at this.

"Here ya go!" Tamama set up the brooms he'd pulled out of Keroro's room and Maggie took hers, then Oliver took his. "Come back with snacks whenever you want! We'll make sure to keep all of the fires out!"

"Hrm? Kirere-chan, you have a little cut," Pururu noticed as she stood there watching this, and Kirere looked down at her elbow, and there was a scrap. "Here, let me…" Pururu dabbed a paper towel on the wound and then put a bandage on top of it. "Good as new!"

"Thanks! You're a lot better than Dad, he puts about five on just one cut…" Kirere muttered.

"He just wants to make sure you're safe. I should get going, too. I just got a call saying we're getting ready to head out."

"Bye, Pururu-chan!" Keroro waved, his hands full of his newly fixed Gunpla. "Bye, Fujuju-san! Bye strange identical Pekoponians!"

"So he's trying to take over the place? I'd be fine with that… I mean, he seems nicer than most politicians," Oliver said as he and his sister walked out into the backyard, their brooms at their sides.

"You wouldn't know politics from a hole in the wall," Maggie sighed.

"Hey, wait a second!" Natsumi rushed into the kitchen and then hurried back, a white box tied in string in one hand. "A gift from one set of unlucky Earthlings to another. I picked these up last time I was out."

"Hrm? Oh, thanks! We'll have to remember to bring something by next time!" Maggie took the box and smiled gratefully.

"As long as it's not more bad luck," Giroro snorted.

"Come back soon! Bye!" Tamama waved as they walked out. "That went a little bit better than I thought!"

"Tamama Nitohei, how bad did you see it going in your mind exactly?" Keroro ventured to ask.

Pururu was back on the ship, and finally finished wiping away the ash from the battle of the Gunpla. She went to toss away the facial wipe, then noticed something else she'd tossed in the trash, something set right on top. She picked up the tissue she'd used to wipe away the blood from Kirere's scrape and thought for a moment, then headed down to her work area, narrowly dodging Garuru in the process.

She placed part of the tissue on an object that looked a great deal like a microscope and began to type away at the computer, "Analyze DNA matches…"

There was no Kirere on file, which aroused Pururu's suspicions, but it did pull up two half matches, "…Giroro-kun and Kururu Soucho?... That means then that Keroro-kun was telling the truth after all…If he was honest about that, then… Everything else was…"

"Pururu," Garuru's voice startled her, and she quickly shut down all she had been working on and spun around. "…How's my niece?"

"Oh! She's doing well! She got a little bit taller!" she answered, trying to hide her nervousness but doing a poor job at it. This answer seemed to satisfy him, and he left the doorway, leaving Pururu alone to think.

"Weird as Japan is, they know how to make some good food! Still not as good as the stuff we get here, though," Oliver exclaimed, and Maggie nodded as she took another bite of her fish-shaped snack. The front door opened and in walked their sister, dressed in a familiar uniform, one public bus drivers wore. Frannie tossed aside the hat and collapsed at the dining room table her brother and sister were seated at.

"You're working buses now?!" Oliver asked, astonished. "They let you in charge of something that big!?"

Maggie delivered a slap to her brother's shoulder and stood, "We have to go study… We brought you some snacks while we were out, Fran! Hope you like them, there's still plenty in there!"

"Oh, thank you both… The quiet time would be good," she nodded in agreement. "Don't forget to take keys!"

"We won't!" Oliver answered as they hurried out the door, and Frannie now leaned forward a bit and brought the white box over to herself.

"What on Earth…?" she wondered as she studied the fish-shaped food and then took a bite, nodding and a bit relieved as she found it wasn't fish-flavored. She then pulled down the lid and noticed the address to the bakery, written completely in Japanese.

"Where did they go exactly?" she asked herself.


	5. Keroro & Romama: Time with Ojiisama Pt1

Episode 3: Keroro & Romama: Time with Ojiisama!  
Part 1:

The younger children were practicing downstairs when Romama finally woke up, springing right out of bed and then looking to his clock; it was set to go off before there was anyone else in the building, and even then he had the loud sounds of the bells sounding the ending of each class. Somehow he had managed to sleep through all of these and well into the afternoon.

He didn't say anything as he adjusted his bandanna and then picked up a long stick and a piece of cloth, which he tied to the end, and he then exited out through the small window and headed down the street, all the way to an alleyway which held a passageway to the hidden alien section of Tokyo.

"Hopefully if I speed it up I can make it in time," he muttered, picking up his pace as he spotted his destination.

"Why do we keep leaving a seat for him? It's not like he's going to join up with us anytime soon, it's just depressing to see," Giroro snorted as he referred to Romama's place marker at the round table which many a failed invasion attempt had been made and many more would find their birth place one.

"Because, Giroro Goucho, I'm a firm believer that people can change," Keroro answered. "And with given time Ojiisama will realize that helping with the invasion is the true light!"

"Teicho-dono, he's told you if you want to achieve your goals you have to achieve for yourself," said Dororo politely. "I'm afraid I have to agree with his philosophy."

"At least if he helped us he wouldn't be so lonely all of the time!" Kirere chimed in. "We don't even know what he does all day!"

Keroro stopped at this, thinking it over for a moment, "That's exactly right… At any given moment it's clear where any of us would be located… But Ojiisama's a bit of a mystery to this day."

"He's probably working on avoiding you, or working on his skills, like a real soldier would," Giroro grumbled and stood. "I don't like the looks of where this is going already…"

"Giroro Goucho, aren't you at least the littlest bit curious?" Keroro asked pondering tone.

"Well, I have wondered in the past what sort of exercises he must have done to have gained a Major status at such a young age…" Giroro thought aloud.

"He cheated, kuku. He admitted to it," Kururu said, but this went ignored.

"He could be doing a lot of tough guy things we could learn from!" Tamama chimed in.

"Excellent, Tamama Nitohei!" Keroro snapped his fingers. "Tomorrow's invasion strategy will be known as Operation Follow Ojiisama!"

"Brr," Kirere shivered and rubbed her shoulders. "I just got one of those bad chills I get sometimes before something bad happens…."

"Kuku, I hate to rain on the parade, but you don't even know where he lives," Kururu chimed in, and this time all listened, and Keroro's smile fell. Dororo looked outwardly anxious and focused on the table in front of him, not looking at anyone.

"This is true… I'd imagine he lives somewhere in the wilderness honing in on nature and attempting to harness it," Keroro thought after a moment.

"No, that's Lupapa, and they wouldn't dare repeat character traits in the same group of characters," Giroro answered.

"I wonder how Lupapa-chan is…" Keroro wondered aloud. "Dororo—Gero?"

Dororo bolted at the very sound of his name, back up into the ceiling.

"Do you think that means they're dating after all?" Tamama wondered aloud.

"Dororo, I just wanted to ask you a simple question! Hey, Dororo! I know you're up there!" Keroro called, yelling up at the ceiling.

"Dororo, it's fine, we won't judge you either way," Giroro sighed.

"Giroro Goucho's the last person to be judging about that anyway!" Keroro called out.

"What?! What does THAT mean?!" Giroro snarled.

"Don't act like you don't know!" Keroro bounced back with, and Giroro grit his teeth.

"Hey, Stupid Frog! Your creepy uncle was just here and dropped off some things for you!" Natsumi came through the sliding door and held up a white bag. "Looks like he brought more fruit…. Where's he keep getting this stuff, and why's he bring it here? Is he afraid you're going to get scurvy?"

"O-Ojiisama!? If we go quickly we might be able to see where he's going, come on!" Keroro called out and then hurried out, followed by the others sans Dororo and Kururu, who stayed behind reclined in his chair and not caring one way or another about the matter.

"Is this really necessary?" Giroro asked as he fidgeted with the tie on his Pekoponian suit. Keroro and Tamama were in theirs as well, and Kirere was in the Kururuko suit. She was busying herself looking in the window at some new power tools at a small hardware store while the other three were camped out in front of some bushes across the street of the ballet studio.

"What's he doing in there anyway?" Tamama asked.

"Teicho-dono! I can't allow you to continue doing this!"

"Dororo?" Keroro spun around and Dororo too was in his Pekoponian suit, although he stood with a determined stance in front of the three.

"If Romama-dono wants to keep the whereabouts of his home secret that's his own business to do so!" Dororo answered, his fists clenched as he spoke.

"Wait, that's his home?" Keroro blinked. "Dororo, how did you know this?"

"….W-Well, I-"

"HEY!" Giroro barked at the two men too close to the unsuspecting Kirere, who was bent over and practically drooling at the rows of new drills.

"Calm down, Grandpa, we were here first," one of the men waved Giroro off without looking at the red Keronian.

Kirere turned around, and blinked in surprise at the presence of the two men, "Hey, you have a number?" asked one man. Kirere didn't get to answer; one man was thrown in one direction and the other in another. One fell in a dumpster and the other didn't land for some time, falling into a fruit stand twelve blocks east.

"So much for inconspicuous," Keroro sighed.

"It's been a while, I don't think he's coming out," Tamama mumbled.

"Nonsense, he must at some point!" Keroro answered, and then the hours dragged on. Dororo quietly took his exit, Kirere fell asleep and Giroro carried her back home, and Tamama finally shuffled back toward home.

"It'd be interesting to see, but not that interesting…" Tamama yawned, and Keroro eventually fell asleep on a park bench, only to be awoken by the sounds of grunts and small curses. He opened his eyes and there was a lone girl there, attempting to open the ballet studio door with a jammed key.

"Eh? A friend of Ojiisama's?" Keroro wondered and stood, walking across the street to the young girl and watching in silent curiosity as she tried to open the door. She gave a yelp as she turned around and saw Keroro, and backed against the door.

"I… I have mace!" she warned, and Keroro waved his hand.

"What's a weakling Pekoponian like you doing out in the middle of the night?" Keroro wondered aloud, and Aya continued to shake. "Ehhhhh… Not to worry, I come in peace!"

"You look like one of those weird men on the news," Aya said, and Keroro only laughed this off lightly.

"Here, let me just…" he took the door handle and with a bit of effort pulled the door open; unfortunately he had built up such a force while doing this he flew back and onto the street, and Aya rushed over to him, helping him back up.

"Thank you, my Little Angel must have sent you," she gave a small bow of thanks as she headed to the door of the studio.

"Your Little Angel?" Keroro repeated, rubbing his head.

Aya nodded, "He takes care of me and makes sure no one bothers me. That's why I'm not afraid to come down here by myself, because I'm really not by myself."

"Your Little Angel doesn't sound like Kitaro, does he?"

"Hehe, he did send you! I knew it!" Aya chuckled and then shut the door behind her, locking it and waving to Keroro. He waved in return, dazed.

"So why are we out here yet again?" Giroro was now with the rest of the platoon in front of the ballet studio yet again, Kirere and Tamama looking particularly tired as they stood out in the morning dawn just as the sun was rising. They weren't in suits this time, instead opting to use cloaking devices as they spied on Romama.

"I was having a dream where I was on a mountain of ice cream, full of every flavor ever made," Tamama yawned to his younger sister.

"I got front-row tickets to see Anna Atlanta in concert," Kirere replied, leaning against her brother and beginning to snore a bit.

"There he is, come on!" Keroro called out as he saw Romama exit from the window in the front of the ballet studio and then take off with the same stick and cloth bag. The group, which now included all six members of the platoon, hid behind whatever they could for cover as they followed Romama on the opposite side of the street, then quietly hurrying down the alley after him.

"Why's he coming here?" Keroro wondered aloud, and the group then found themselves walking through crowds of aliens, stopping in front of a small shop Romama had walked into.

"Looks like a gym," Giroro said as he surveyed the place with the rest of the group, who peeked out just above the ledge and into the large glass panels.

"Eh?" Dororo, who was closest to the door, watched as in trailed small children, half Kirere's age and younger, into the gym, usually with a parent at their side.

"I remember these things…" Giroro said with a nod. "Training the next generation of fighters… They're starting even younger… So this is how he works on his own abilities, through teaching."

"That's mean of him to train others but not us!" Tamama muttered, and Keroro watched in silence as the children lined up in four long rows and then Romama walked out, looking no different save for some bizarre black outfit and shoes he had put on.

"That must be some sort of training outfit to help distribute his weight!" Keroro explained.

"Kukuku! Or something totally different," Kururu laughed.

He stood in front of the class with a radio at his side, and all watched in utter confusion as he turned on the radio and then started on something which they slowly realized were stretches.

"Well, you don't want to go into battle and get a cramp…." Giroro explained.

"I've got that really bad feeling again, this time in my stomach," Kirere muttered.

"It's because all you eat is hot crap, you're melting your stomach," Tamama answered plainly. "What the hell?..."

"Those are…. Well… Kerorobics, that's it!" Keroro nodded as Romama switched now from leading stretches to leading some kind of dance.

"….That's ballet," Giroro muttered, then there was stone cold silence. Kururu broke it with a laugh.

"What do you think you're doing, Ponyon?" came the voice of a familiar police officer, and all turned around, stunned and not knowing what to say.

"Urm, well…"

"We… We're signing up my sister for ballet because she's getting fat," Tamama answered, pointing to a shocked Kirere.

"I'm not fat, you jerk!" Kirere snapped.

"Why did you all look like you were spying then, ponyon?" asked the officer, folding her arms and awaiting an answer.

"We simply wanted to see how the teacher does without any new or prying eyes to make him uncomfortable or put him out of his element," Keroro answered, and Ponyon's frown softened and she smiled.

"Why didn't you say so, ponyon? Romama-san just joined this studio a little while ago as a teacher, ponyon, because one of the old teachers was retiring ponyon!" she explained. "It keeps a lot of otherwise troublemaking kids off of the street ponyon!"

Giroro turned around and watched Romama a few seconds more, as much as he could stomach.

"Carry on, ponyon!" she said, and with that she left them. As soon as this happened Kirere's face reddened and she balled her fists.

"I'm not fat!" she snapped at Tamama.

"I just call them like I see them!"

"You're the one who eats all the junk food!"

"Don't make me put you both in a time out!" Giroro came in with a threat, and both stopped, but while glaring at one another all the same.

"This is unbearable…" Keroro muttered. "A tough character like Ojiisama… Teaching sissy dance moves to practically infants!... Maybe there's hope yet. Just because he has one characteristic like this doesn't make him completely soft… There's Dororo and his gardening, after all, and Giroro and his poetry," Keroro muttered.

"K…Keroro-kun, what are you saying?" Dororo asked, his eyes near tears.

Romama gestured to the children something that must have meant he was finished, because then another alien, a tall purple but otherwise Pekoponian-looking woman took his place. He took up the walking stick he had taken with him before and the platoon quickly turned into a nearby alley to avoid being seen. Romama felt a set of eyes on him, and swiveled about to look over his shoulder, but saw no one there. He then began to walk down the busy street, and Keroro motioned for the others to follow him in their stalking Romama.

"This is starting to feel so wrong," Giroro sighed as he now hid out behind a tree with the others scattered in other hiding spots as they now watched Romama.

"A pet store?" Kirere wondered aloud as Romama stopped in front of the store and stood there for a minute and walked in.

"He's… Probably looking into getting an attack dog!" Keroro exclaimed.

"I don't think that's it, Gunso-san," Tamama answered gravely as they saw Romama hop up and reach into the front window display and pick up a small kitten-like alien pet. It batted with its teeny paw toward him, and he laughed. Keroro felt and looked ill.

"Kuuuuuuukukuku!" Kururu popped out from the tree he had been hiding in and Giroro gave a yelp of surprise. "Looks like a new age type of training…"

"Just… Just you wait! I'm sure whatever he does next will make up for this!"

"He's a sissy who plays with cats," Tamama snorted.

"Kuku, you know what they say about single men with a cat," Kururu chuckled.

"Yeah," all nodded except for Giroro and Keroro.

"What… What do they say?!" Giroro demanded, but this went unanswered as Romama left the pet shop and headed further down the street.

"Please be going to a gym, or an art wrestling competition… Something slightly tough," Keroro begged quietly, now not following along as quickly as he had been. It was tea now that Romama stopped for, and sat there quietly to himself at a low table. After this it was shopping, where he picked up and filled the cloth he'd brought with fresh fruit and vegetables and then slung it on the stick over his shoulder.

"…Come to think of it, that's all I've ever seen him eat is fruits and vegetables…" Dororo said thoughtfully.

"…You mean he's a vegetarian, too?" Keroro leaned against a wall to balance himself. "I… I think I need to go home… My soul's been crushed."

"Poor Gunso-san… His tough-guy uncle's a sissy vegetarian…" Tamama muttered as he watched his crestfallen captain.

"Vegetarian… That means he farms, right?" Kirere asked.

"Jeeze you're not bright," Tamama grumbled.

Keroro removed the place card from the seat that was meant for Romama and sighed, "Gero… Looks like I just have to face it, Ojiisama's not as tough as I thought… It's all right, we've made more on less…. A vegetarian, in my family. I feel like my lineage has been built on lies."

"Ojiisama?"

"Oh, Mois-dono!" Keroro turned around to the Angol. "How unusual to see you here at this time! There's no meeting as of now…"

"I heard that Ojiisama was in low spirits because of his Ojiisama… Could you say not all that it's cracked up to be?"

Keroro gave a sigh, "Ojiisama puts on a tough front but it turns out he's someone completely different!"

"That's all right, at the end of the day, Ojiisama's still Ojiisama!"

"Mois-dono, I wasn't talking about… Well, I suppose there's still some truth to that," Keroro said with a bit of defeat in his voice. "When it comes to family it's important to accept them, no matter what… Just like I should with Ojiisama! Even if he is a ballet-loving vegetarian!" Keroro said with a determined tone. "It'd probably be best to make it known that he's accepted by us despite all of this! Thank you, Mois-dono!"

"Could you say, a living in a land of confusion?" Mois chimed in as Keroro rushed out of the meeting room.


	6. Keroro & Romama: Time with Ojiisama Pt2

Episode 3: Keroro & Romama: Time with Ojiisama!  
Part 2

"What do you mean how do I handle disappointment?" Giroro asked as Keroro stood there beside him. The corporal had taken a break from polishing his gun and was poking at the fire in front of him, then looked sideways at Keroro.

"Well, you know, when you expect one thing from a family member but they turn out a complete opposite way!" Keroro replied, rubbing his hands together and smiling politely. In response to this question, he found himself staring down the barrel of Giroro's large gun.

"If you're getting at… What I think you're getting at… You're lucky I'm too exhausted to take your life right here," Giroro said in a dark, steady tone.

"I… I was just asking…"

"Leave."

"Su-Sure!" Keroro yelped, and rushed away from the red Keronian's camp. "Maybe it'd be better to face the problem head on…"

Aya grunted as she turned the key and lifted up on the handle and then walked into the ballet studio, flipping on a few but not all of the lights and then setting her bag down on the ground. She removed her jacket and changed her shoes, and then went to work, stopping and rubbing one of her ears as there was a humming noise.

"Eh? There she is again…" Keroro muttered as he passed by the windows of the studio, stopping as he watched Aya begin to dance by herself. "What's this now?" he wondered aloud as he saw something moving in the shadows behind her.

Romama at this same time lifted away the ceiling tile to watch Aya, who he had heard enter the studio. He watched this quietly, hopping down from the tile and then taking up hiding into the shadows. He, too, saw something moving in the back windows, and liked Keroro went to investigate.

"Hello?" Keroro called out as he crept in the back of the building slowly. "Hello!"

There was the sound of movements in the alley, and Keroro gave a gasp. Then from the shadows jumped some sort of creature, with wild yellow eyes, that made a guttural, catlike growl as it latched onto Keroro's head, causing the green Keronian to tumble onto the ground.

The real cause of the shadows, a passing-by homeless man who had been searching in the dumpsters, gave a scream and took off running as fast as he could past the two, leaving Romama attacking a stunned and confused Keroro. Romama didn't realize who it was until Keroro struggled out of his suit and went for cover, then the teal Keronian stood up and stopped, looking at the now headless, motionless body slumped by the trashbags.

"O-Ojiisama! Hold your fire!" Keroro begged. "I surrender!"

"You! You idiot… What're you doing here!?" Romama demanded in a shout.

"I… Well… I came to visit you at your home is all," Keroro answered weakly, and Romama growled and turned from him, stomping back toward the back entrance of the studio.

"Don't come here again!" Romama called out to his uncle, and Keroro stood there for a moment, then hearing another unusual noise in the darkened alley, yelped and went chasing after Romama.

"M-Maybe I could just stay the night?" Keroro asked as he caught up with Romama, clutching onto his uncle's arm.

"Fine," Romama snapped. "Just be quiet and stay out of the way. You're leaving when the sun's up."

"Eh, Ojiisama, who is she?" Keroro asked, pointing to the girl in the light who didn't seem to pay mind to their quiet chattering or their presence. Keroro was a bit unnerved as he noticed Romama's eyes still glowed in the dark, like a cat's.

"She's a friend I've been helping… Say anything to her, approach her… And you'll regret it. Now come on," Romama whispered as he quietly slipped through a small door in one side of the studio that led up to a dusty flight of stairs and then what looked like a sealed-off wall. Romama pulled away a few planks, though, and allowed Keroro to walk in first.

"Wooowww! Ojiisama's home!" Keroro gasped, and immediately went bouncing about the place inspecting it.

"Hey! Don't touch anything!" Romama snapped.

"You really are a vegetarian, aren't you?" Keroro muttered as he opened the mini fridge in one corner and noted all of the fruits and vegetables. "If this doesn't lead to your secret base, which door in here does?"

"How did you know that?" Romama asked. "And I don't have a secret base, what you're looking at is what you see."

"Ahhh. Eh? Why's Ojiisama have a picture of Mama?" Keroro muttered, noting the few photos pinned up on a cracked mirror. Among them was a very faded one of Romama standing next to what looked like a younger version of Keroro's mother.

"That's my older sister. Put it down, it's fragile! Just come sit still for a few moments, if you can manage," Romama sighed and pushed a cushion out for Keroro to sit on. "You're exhausting just to watch."

"Hehe, well, I like to think my energy's contagious!" Keroro took a seat in front of Romama and sat there in silence for a bit, until his stomach gave away his weakness and growled.

"Your energy also burns through your calories too quick," Romama muttered and walked over to the fridge, pulling out a clear bag and passing it to Keroro.

"Star fruit! Ojiisama knows me so well!" Keroro cried with joy, opening the bag while Romama went for plates and knives. The teal boy couldn't help but give a small smirk at his nephew's joy.

"You're not hard to figure out, honestly," Romama took a seat and pulled over a table to them, then went to cutting the fruit into slices. "None of you idiots are. I can read you all like books."

"You really like that "idiot" word a lot… Oh, you have more pictures!"

"Wait, you-! She's going to hear us, you're lucky she didn't in the alley!" Romama walked over to where Keroro stood, examining the very worn and sepia-colored pictures.

"So this is what the old days were like! We don't have many pictures of this time left at home," Keroro explained. "Ohhh it's everyone else!... Mahihi-san's so… Stern looking…."

It was more of a look of contempt. It was mutually directed at Romama from the rest of the platoon, save for Kodada, who only looked worried and nervous in the photo. Romama, too, looked anxious in the picture.

"It… Doesn't look like a very happy time…." Keroro said as delicately as he could.

"Come sit back down…"

"Ohhh Ojiisama and Kodada-san! She was really cute, Ojiisama, and… Oh, I forgot… Ehehehe….." Keroro noted the icy daggers Romama was shooting him, and Romama roughly pointed for him to sit. Keroro did this obediently, going back to eating his fruit, "Don't worry, you'll find someone else, Ojiisama!"

"You're fraying my nerves," Romama said sternly, the leaned over to the opened tile as he heard the door opening once more. Aya was leaving, having finished her extra practice. Keroro watched her leave as well, and studied the look on Romama's face.

"Gero?" it was a puzzling look, and Romama slid the tile back and reached over for some blankets he had piled in beside him.

"I'll take the floor, you can have my hammock. Wakeup's at six sharp," Romama explained while Keroro watched him. The green Keronian then yawned, and trudged over to the hammock.

"Indeed, it has been a long day, so good rest is much deserved!" he yawned, pulling a blanket over himself and then shutting his eyes. It didn't take long for him to break the silence Romama had finally begun to enjoy.

"I can't seem to fall asleep in such a strange place…"

"Then count sheep."

Keroro began to do this, albeit out loud. Romama placed a pillow over his own head to get some silence, then grit his teeth; he could still hear Keroro, "To yourself!" he barked.

The silence was now once more, until Romama sat up and grumbled, "I can't sleep now…"

"Good, let's play a game then!" Keroro exclaimed springing up in his bed.

"…All I would have had to do was sleep another ten years, and this would have been avoided…"

"Straight flush!" Keroro cried out happily.

"There's no straight flush in chess," Romama said through gritted teeth, and huffed. "This is stupid; I'm going to get some fresh air."

"Ah, good thinking! I'll join you!"

"Of course you will," Romama sighed, and went out through the back alley, turning on his invisibility. Keroro did the same, and began to walk down the street with Keroro following beside him.

"…What is it now?" Romama asked, stopping as he felt Keroro's eyes on him.

"Well, I was just wondering if you'd thought of something to do… It doesn't seem as though either of us are getting any sleep, and Natsumi-dono will have my hide if I go waking up the family at this hour… So what are two young men to do at this hour, I ask?"

"You thought of something already, didn't you?" Romama's mouth twitched, and Keroro only grinned.

"Gero gero gero…"

"Neh? No… Pay you later… Eh… Kirere, put down those magazines….No! Kirere, get down from the stove! I don't want a fire… Another one…" Haruki muttered in between snores while behind him lurked two silent aliens.

"Why are we breaking into his home? Ugh! It's disgusting in here…" Romama grumbled as he accidentally kicked an emptied Ramen container.

"I dropped off my bike to be fixed here, Kirere-chan told me I could pick it up whenever I wanted!" Keroro returned in a whisper. "Unfortunately Haruki-san keeps the keys in his home, so we need those first."

"Anytime doesn't mean midnight," Romama retorted, and the little Major had to hold back a yell as Keroro now climbed on top of him and stood atop his head to retrieve the keys.

Haruki fell out of his cot as there was a zooming noise and a small rumbling bursting through the night, and he shook his head as he sat there dazed on the floor.

"…Stuff like this never happened when I smoked…" he mumbled, then climbed back into bed. "Stupid nicotine patches."

"Yahoo!" Keroro called out as he zoomed through the air while Romama held on for dear life.

"Where are the helmets?!" Romama asked in a yell.

"The what-now!?" Keroro answered with, and then picked up the speed. "WAHOO! Ojiisama, I suddenly got an idea on where to go!"

"…Fine, just as long as it means we land soon!"

Keroro shot straight up on his bike, and Romama clutched on even tighter, and Keroro gave another cheer, and from beneath them appeared a road suddenly, which led them up to a place Romama hadn't seen before… There were buildings, all disk-like, and there were also a series of ships and bikes parked in various spot.

"A Pekopon Rest Stop! Open twenty-four hours, and some of the best food around… Including vegetarian selections!"

"Eh? Oh…" Romama was too wrapped up in looking at the aliens that walked past them, as well as the stores and cafes. "No one ever mentioned this place to me…"

"Slipped my mind."

"Hard to believe," Romama muttered flatly, and he flushed a bit as his stomach now growled.

"Come on, Ojiisama! This time is my treat!" Keroro said cheerfully, and led the way to the same diner he had previously visited with Fuyuki.

"Ah, the biggest Ramen bowl you have, please!" Keroro declared to the waitress.

"Tofu miso…" Romama answered in a much more quiet tone, and set down his menu.

The waitress nodded and walked away, leaving the two alone at the table. Romama stared at Keroro, his cat eyes searching for some kind of conversation to make with his nephew.

"So you like… Robot things, right?" Romama asked, and just as Keroro went to speak three large-looking, tough-looking aliens looking for a fight walked up to the two.

"Hey, I know this guy!" said one, a tall orange and yellow one with long, lumbering arms, no visible mouth and white almond-shaped eyes.

"Ojiisama?" Keroro's voice was quiet as Romama stood, separating his nephew from the aliens.

"…Yes, he's the one who teaches my daughter's dance class! This is the guy who I told you about!" the alien's looks became a bit friendlier, and the one to his left, who looked a bit like a bipedal turtle, nodded. The one on his right, who was purple and more reminiscent of an octopus, folded two sets of his arms. "He does the ballet classes, my little girl can't stop talking about him!"

"I… You must have me mistaken for someone else," Romama spoke quietly, and his face reddened a little bit. He didn't dare look over to Keroro, who watched this in silence.

"No, no, you're the one!" the tall alien answered. "A young bluish Keronian with scary eyes and red bandanna! She thinks you're a little bit cute. I don't know about that myself, but she really likes you! My one friend here was wondering if you had openings, he has twin girls."

"….Take them by, I'll see what I can do…." Romama said quietly, his eyes on the floor and his face bright red.

"You don't get class acts like that anymore guys! C'mon, we gotta get back to work. Be seeing you around, teacher!" the alien called out, then left with his friends. Romama slid back into his seat, and barked as Keroro began to squeak out some sort of conversation.

"Yes, I teach dance lessons! If you or any of your idiot friends have some problem with it, I don't care!" Romama shouted, pounding on the white counter.

"O… Ojiisama, that's all right!" Keroro answered. "Ojiisama can still be tough and do things like that! I don't care!"

"You don't?" Romama raised his eyes a bit, and Keroro smiled.

"Gero gero gero… Everyone has some things that they can be laughed at about!" Keroro explained. "Some people go as far as to balk at my Gunpla! But Dororo has his gardening, Tamama-chan has his love of candy and being cute, Kirere-chan has… Well, she's pink to begin with…"

"But she's a—"

"I like Ojiisama just as he is," Keroro cut off Romama then lit up as their food came. Keroro took a sip from his bowl and then sighed contently. "Plus Gammarian Kittens are just too adorable to not go in and pet."

Romama choked on his soup at this, and wiped his mouth as he looked up at Keroro, "How… Exactly did you know about that?"

"I… It'd be a bad time to mention I left my wallet at home as well, wouldn't it?" Keroro asked with a grin. Romama gave something of a growl, then Keroro blacked out at what happened next. This was all for the best though.

"Ugh, I don't think I can do anymore of this!" Tamama whined, and Kirere stopped bending and leaned against the wood bar in front of the long mirror.

"I stopped feeling my feet half an hour ago…" Kirere moaned.

"Keroro… Tell me again why in the hell we're at one of these stupid things?!" Giroro snarled, looking over his shoulder to Keroro, who was also along the line against the mirror. The other students, the much young girls, watched the platoon of supposedly hardened soldiers a bit confused, and with a few stray giggles here and there.

Keroro was still bandaged from the altercation with his uncle in the diner, but managed to do the same exercises, albeit with limited mobility.

"Well… After all of my life had passed before my eyes, and Ojiisama was drowning me in a bowl of soup, something occurred to me… This ballet thing makes one quite strong!"

"Even if I agree, I'm sure the same results could have been found with something a bit less… Like this, Teicho-dono," Dororo said with a huff.

"Kukuku…"

"Hey, straighten the hunch in your back!" Romama called, and pressed against Kururu's back, then worked his way down the line. "You, red one! Work on you form! Someone drag the black one back here, I see him trying escape!"

"Does your nephew realize we have names?" Giroro asked Keroro.

"Keep the gossiping down," Romama instructed as he walked past them, and Giroro grit his teeth a bit.

"Ah, Ojiisama is Ojiisama… We can't help who are family is we just have to accept. You should know best, Giroro Goucho! And we have a nice lunch when we're done here! Ojiisama promised to show us a nice restaurant with mainly healthy dishes!"

"I think my soul just died…" Tamama muttered gravely.


	7. Lupapa & Chunini: Hardboiled Women Pt1

Episode 4: Lupapa & Chunini: Hardboiled Women

"Your mother's visiting? Dororo, that's great!" Koyuki asked as Dororo hung up the wooden phone in the living room of their small home, and Dororo looked over to the ninja girl happily.

"Yes, it's been such a while since she's visited… And there was so much trouble last time she visited," Dororo answered, referring to the Viper attack that had plagued his mother's last visit. "I better make a note of this, so Teicho-dono won't be worried over my absence!"

He stood and walked over to the calendar on the wall; it had on it a picture of mount Fuji, and had little dates written on it in sumi ink. He took a ink vat and brush, and went to circle the date, then stopped dead; there was already something written over the time his mother was expected to visit.

"Oh, dear…. It seems as though I forgot all about that…" Dororo muttered. "And it's too late to tell her not to come…"

"Huh, what's wrong?" Koyuki wandered over and read the notes he'd written. "Oh!"

"I think I need to go meditate… I have to prepare mentally for this," Dororo set down the ink and slowly walked away from the calendar, holding his head as though it were aching.

"Auntie, are you sure you have everything ready for your trip?" Marco asked as he helped Lupapa pack the last of her leather backpack, and the purple Keronian folded the top flap over and sighed, then looked about the jungle. Marco gave a laugh as he noticed her preoccupied expression.

"Don't worry, Auntie! We have plenty of traps set up, so no one's going to bug us while you're off with Mr. Boyfriend!"

"I wish you wouldn't call him that. He's just my friend."

"How about "Uncle"?"

"Definitely not that, Marco! I'll be back in three days, if even the smallest thing happens, you have the contacting device."

"Hehe, Auntie gets so worried she barely has time to have fun herself!" Marco laughed lightly and stood. He slid down one of the ropes from Lupapa's platform home while she opted to jump down and onto the forest floor. "We'll be fine, and Mama said already she'd pray for you extra because she knows you don't like long trips!"

"I don't take to different environments well. And it's still cold there," Lupapa answered. "Maybe I should say I got ill and stay here..."

"No, you need the vacation. Then you need to bring back my Uncle so he can teach me more of those ninja moves!"

"My ride's here," Lupapa sighed as she looked overhead and there was the small floating ship overhead. "Don't break anything while I'm gone! And don't touch my radio!"

"You got it, Auntie! Bring me back something!"

"He never changes," Lupapa sighed as she was lifted up by the beam and then took a seat in the inside of the ship, which looked much like an average Pekopon bus from the inside. She looked anxious as the rain forest quickly vanished; it'd been years since she'd spent such a long time away, save for when she had been under the brief rule of Kezanstav.

The bus was near-empty except for her, the driver, and a few other assorted alien passengers. Lupapa pulled out an old set of headphones, as well as a cassette tape player, and switched it on. She sat back and enjoyed what was on the tape… Sounds of the rainforest.

"Ah, finally… What a long day…" Natsumi slid off her shoes and trudged into the house, and set down her bag on the floor. Fuyuki followed in, also kicking off his shoes and rushing upstairs.

"I heard they had some updates on one of my occult forums!" Fuyuki called out. "I have to check them before the message board gets too far along without me!"

"Boy…" Natsumi shook her head and walked over to the kitchen, then stopped. The refrigerator door was open, and the food was spread out on the counter, making it look like a warzone. It was all things for sandwiches, Natsumi noted all through her horror.

"Stupid… STUPID FROG!" she screeched, causing the walls to shake a bit.

"It wasn't me!" Keroro's voice came from his room, and Natsumi stomped over to it and kicked in the door.

"Ah, I love a good sandwich after a long tour," Chunini sighed contently as she took another bite of the stacked sandwich and sat in front of the TV, watching a soap opera. "Nothing like it…"

"What… What's she doing here?!" Natsumi sputtered, pointing to Chunini. Keroro looked upward at Natsumi, teary-eyed.

"I tried to keep her out, really! Even vampires need permission to enter someone's home! You need to do something about this, Natsumi-dono, as a defender of the Earth!"

"…Should you really be the one giving me this talk?" Natsumi asked, raising an eyebrow. "…All right, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, Natsumi-dono! Thank you!" Keroro wept happily.

"Hey," Natsumi kicked gently at Chunini's back. "You need to clean up your mess and get out! We're not running a hotel here!"

"Kukuku, actually she rented one of my spare rooms," Kururu opened the refrigerator door and gave another laugh.

"Spare room?" Natsumi repeated.

"Miss Chu, I tidied up the mess in the kitchen," Natsumi jumped as Lee walked into the room, wiping her hands with a napkin. "Really you should be more considerate during our stay…"

"All right… I'm sorry, Lee," Chunini looked up to her manager with a puppy-dog look, and this incensed both Natsumi and Keroro.

"You should be apologizing to US!" both shouted.

"Ah, I think I need a bath… No one bother me, please," Chunini stood and waved to the group, and walked past Kururu and into the secret base. Lee followed after her.

"How long did you rent out the room to them, exactly?" Natsumi ventured to ask.

"Kuku! Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it," was all he answered with, and shut the door.

"I… I can't do another day of this!" Keroro exclaimed, balling his fists. "She came in and turned the TV on to her terrible, terrible television! She used my computer to check all of her emails and send out chain letters! And she's left food wrappers all over the room! I can't stand this!"

"Then do something about it already…"

"What?! Why not you?!"

"Because she's one of your kind, you brought her here!"

"But that manager… She's so scary… Please help me, Natsumi-dono!" Keroro begged, but Natsumi only turned away and sighed.

"As long as they stay out of the way it won't be so bad, I guess…" Natsumi muttered. "I've got to get dinner started, anyway. Just pretend like she's not there, all right?"

"But… But that will be near impossible!" Keroro's cry met with the shutting of his bedroom door, and he fell onto his knees in his room. "This… This really is the darkest day…"

"Thank you again for this," Dororo bowed as he sat kneeled down in Giroro's tent, the red Keronian and his "light-red" daughter across from the ninja.

"It's no worry, Dororo. It's just odd seeing you this shaken over something," said Giroro. "I'd always thought you were one for harmony…"

"I just don't want Mama to get the wrong idea about things… And I don't want any pressure put on Lupapa-dono…."

"Hehe, it's no problem, I just hope she'll like my room!" Kirere grinned.

"I already called her and she said it'd be just fine. She was wonderfully understanding about it."

"Well, I'm glad things went off without incident… For once," Giroro muttered.

"Yes, it is a nice change, isn't it?" Dororo said cheerfully. Kirere gave a little bit of a shiver; she had that eerie feeling again, but didn't say anything. She didn't want to ruin the joy.

"…It's very pink…." Lupapa muttered as she looked about the child's room, setting her bag down and cautiously wandering through. She looked up at few posters, drawn to them; pop singers and cars, mostly. Some aircraft jets, too, and a few actors. She jumped then drew back as she stood on something that made a squeaking noise, then lifted it up; a little Keronian doll.

"Heh, you're cute, aren't you?" Lupapa smiled a bit and held up the doll. She set it back with its friends on Kirere's bed and sat in the middle of it, falling into it at its surprising softness. She had to struggle to pull herself out of the bed and hopped up, shaking her head. "That thing's a deathtrap!"

"Lupapa-dono, how're you doing?" came a knock at the door, and Lupapa rushed to it, just short of opening it.

"I… I'm fine! This room is wonderful!" Lupapa answered to the familiar male voice, placing her hand on the doorknob now.

"Yes, just as Lupapa-dono is."

"Yes, I- Wha… W-wait, what?" Lupapa squeaked out, then said beneath her breath. "Tell me I haven't been that obvious…"

"I was wondering if you were free for the evening, Lupapa-dono. There's supposed to be a full moon out."

"Just us…?" she thought to herself outloud. "Dororo, I—"

Then she pulled open the door, and her smile fell. Chunini was there, a large, deviously smile on her face.

"Lupapa-dono, your face is quite red!" Chunini exclaimed, still using Dororo's voice instead of her own.

"YOU!" Lupapa snarled. "YOU followed me here! You're stalking me!"

"Hardly!" Chunini laughed. "I was here first; I'm renting a room out for the week!"

"The week…?" Lupapa trailed off. "Well, you have to leave! I'm barely able to come here, and you're here like some plague!"

"Are you kidding, this gives me a better reason to stay now!" Chunini admitted, then walked off toward the lab's exit. "I'm going upstairs for dinner, you coming, Lupa-chan?"

"Don 't call me "Lupa-chan"!" Lupapa snapped, balling her fists. She shut the door and went for her nearest victim; a throw pillow.

"I owe you a new pillow, Kirere," Lupapa muttered as she took a seat at the dining room table. Kirere said nothing, but had the same terrified look as everyone; there was Chunini sitting next to her, already enjoying a drink.

"Could you say, the two who should never meet… Meet?" Mois chimed in from her seat.

"Just do what I do and block her," Giroro suggested as he walked past the table.

"Hold me close and kiss me tender forever, that was it, right?" Chunini whispered so low it was just in the corporal's earshot. Giroro visibly iced over at this, and spun around.

"Who in the hell told you about that?!"

"Just know that I know," she stuck her tongue out and resumed sitting up straight at the table. Giroro rushed away to his tent.

"Thanks so much for making dinner tonight, Lee-san," Natsumi bowed slightly again and Lee's usually serious expression gave way to a hint of a smile.

"It's the least I could do after Miss Chu ate the ingredients for your dinner tonight. Plus it's been a while since I've made barbeque," Lee answered. She had taken off her black blazer, rolled up her sleeves, and put on a pink apron, making her look a little less menacing than usual.

"I still don't get it how you're friends with someone like her," Natsumi muttered, folding her arms and glaring in Chunini's direction.

"Love. And a knowledge that without one another we're not nearly as productive as a solo singer or manager."

"Love? Are you serious?"

Lee's expression softened, and she reddened slightly at the attention she'd placed on herself; it was clear she wasn't used to doing much talking, "Miss Chu has a strange way of showing love, but she'd never hurt anyone," Lee replied, continuing to stir around the meat in the skillet. "She's just not much of the sentimental type, but she's got the ability to sell a false sense. I know when she's being sincere."

"It's that or she's really sadistic… There's always something about the yellow ones…" Natsumi muttered, then had to find herself rushing over to Chunini, who was being attacked by Lupapa with a set of chopsticks.

"Watch out, you can poke out your eyes with those! And if you're unlucky it'll be the one you're not blind with, Lupa-chan!"

"I'll behead you with these!" Lupapa threatened.

"Let's just have a nice dinner," Natsumi lifted up Lupapa and sighed. She then lifted up Keroro, and switched their spots, so Keroro was seated next to Chunini and Lupapa next to Kirere. "You're so lucky Mama's not here right now… Stupid Frog, is your nephew coming by tonight?"

"Ojiisama had other things to attend to, unfortunately… Or maybe he was the luckiest of us all…" Keroro muttered to himself, staring at the table blankly. "…So this is how my life ends…"

"Gunso, I think you're being a little bit dramatic…." Fuyuki laughed lightly.

"Fuyuki-dono, you don't understand! She had me watching some film today, it was about a notebook, and there weren't any explosions or mecha at all! Just silly Pekoponians and their silly problems! It was so incredibly boring!"

"Like we said, being too dramatic," Natsumi sighed. Lee came over with the food, laid it on the table, and pulled a seat up beside Chunini.

"I already set aside some for your mother, so that's no worry," Lee said as she sat down to eat.

"Lee-san, this is delicious!" Natsumi exclaimed as she took a bite. All agreed, except for Kirere. She was too busy still covering hers in hot sauce to give a judgment.

"You're welcome, and like I said, it's the least I could do after the trouble of this afternoon," Lee answered.

"You really ought to be ashamed, leaving the one person who does like you to clean up your messes like that. I'm shocked she's put up with you as long as she has," Lupapa said off-handedly to Chunini. This actually threw Chunini for a loop, as seen on the expression on her face. She didn't look like she was going to make a comeback; she looked more surprised than anything.

Chunini had heard these identical words at one point, and they echoed in her head now, all these years later.

"As should you, Natsumi-san," Keroro chimed it. "Having me clean up the messes all of the time… You should have some shame for it, too!"

"Because you're the one who makes them, Stupid Frog…." Natsumi returned with a glare.

"…Gero…"

"That isn't how you treat your family, Chunini. It's about time someone told you that," Lupapa continued in her scolding, and Chunini remained silent. The mood was heavy.

The others slowly stopped eating, looking at one another and wondering what was happening.

"I wouldn't know anything about that," Chunini said in an even tone, and slid off of his seat. "I'm going to bed, my head aches from your chattering. Lee, you can have the night off."

"The night off?! But… I've never had that! Miss Chu, I don't really—"

"No, it's fine," Chunini waved her off and then headed away, and all continued to eat in silence.

"So that's what it took to get her quiet?... That was almost too easy to be true..." Lupapa wondered aloud. "I've never seen her like that."

"I don't think anyone's ever called her out like that, from the look on her face," Keroro admitted. "Gero… I think anyone else would be too afraid to."

"Miss Chu was disowned, it's no surprise something like that would strike a chord with her," Lee explained.

"Disowned her?" Fuyuki and Natsumi repeated.

"As mad as my parents got at me, they never did something rash enough to deserve that…" Keroro mumbled.

"What'd she do that was so bad?" Kirere asked. "Did she blow up something?"

"Nothing that drastic," Lee answered. "I don't even know the details myself, but I'm led to believe it's something to do with her singing career."

"If she's not part of the family, that might explain why she wore military insignia instead of her family's crest," Keroro surmised.

"I had no idea about any of that, I just assumed she'd always been as spoiled and pompous as she is now," Lupapa grumbled, hopping down from her seat. "I'll go talk to her."

She left the dining room, and moments later Natsumi was thrown off-guard as there was a puff of gray smoke, and from it appeared Dororo and Koyuki, their hands in matching ninja summoning formations.

"Hi, Natsumi-san!" Koyuki greeted her friend with a tight hug around the shoulders, and Dororo looked pleased at this.

"Dororo! Did your Mama get in all right?" Keroro asked, and Dororo nodded.

"Yes, Mama's just resting from her long trip… Really you should come by to see her, Keroro-kun!"

"Mm, it could be beneficial, especially considering I can't quite remember what she looks like…" Keroro said thoughtfully. Dororo faltered at this, and Kirere chimed in.

"Lupapa got here okay, too!"

"Y-Yes, that's what I was coming to see, actually. How is she liking it here?" he asked, then was puzzled. It was as if no one really wanted to answer this…

"Hmm… I suppose a good way to put it would be could you say, water and oil?" Mois answered thoughtfully.

"Doro? Aren't you Chunini-dono's manager? But she's never seen without you, I thought."

"That's just it, Chunini's here for the week, too…" Fuyuki added.

"And I'm a bit ashamed to say Miss Chu hasn't been on her best behavior," Lee sighed.

"I see… So where might Lupapa-dono be now?"

"She went to go check on Chunini," Kirere explained. "I think they're down in the base."

"I'll go as well then."

"Did you need to me to come, too?" Koyuki asked, and Dororo looked up at his "sister".

"No, I should be all right on my own. I'll let you know if reinforcements are needs, Koyuki-dono," Dororo answered, and then vanished in another puff of smoke.

"I need to learn to do that," Lee said aloud to herself.

"Gero, the last thing she need is something to make her scarier," said Keroro. Kirere nodded in agreement, and took another bite of her food.

"Lupapa-dono?" Dororo called out as he went deeper into the base. There was a crashing noise, as well as the feeling of a jolt rocking the floor, and Dororo took this as a sign to panic, and quickened his pace into a run.

He stopped and gave a gasp at what he came across; Kururu's lab, it looked as though it had been the scene of a battle. And Kururu was there, too, laid on the floor with his glasses shattered.

"Kuku! She's right, I should've gone to dinner…" Kururu muttered as Dororo rushed over to him.

"Kururu-dono! What happened? Don't tell me this was Chunini-dono and Lupapa-dono!"

"Kuku, hardly. It looks as though someone got past our forces…"

"What?! But who!?"

"Viper!" the snake-headed invader practically announced himself as he stood there, gun in one hand and in the other a hefty-looking burlap sack.

"Viper?!" Dororo grabbed hold of his sword and went into assassin mode, and went to attack the Viper. But his moves were dodged, and Viper shot at the ceiling, knocking down a large screen. This blocked Dororo from him long enough for him to escape, and Dororo ran after him. He bumped into Lupapa along the way.

"He's got Chunini in that bag! The bastard came up on my blind side!" she explained, and with Dororo followed Viper up through the ductwork, eventually losing him in the maze.

"I can't see which way he ran off to," Dororo admitted with a bit of frustration in his voice.

"He knocked her out, but even if she comes to she's not as powerful without her star," Lupapa held out Chunini's choker in her hand. "It fell off of her while we were fighting him off. Eh? Where are we going?"

"To get reinforcements. This is a team effort!" Dororo answered, rushing back down the ductwork with Lupapa at his side.


	8. Lupapa & Chunini: Hardboiled Women Pt2

Ah, part two out, now! :D Yeah, quick, I know... But I had the time to do it, so I took it! Not much else to say, really, except I hope you enojy!

Episode 4: Lupapa & Chunini: Hardboiled Women  
Part 2

"Kidnapped?!" all yelled out in a gasp. Lee sprung up from her seat and drew a large, black, and intimidating-looking gun.

"Show me where he is, now!" Lee barked.

"We don't know which way he went, that's the thing," Lupapa answered.

"Dororo, what about you? Don't you have some ninja technique to help find her?" Giroro, who had since come in, asked.

"It's all right, I have GPS on Miss Chu," Lee answered, pulling out a small black device from her jacket pocket now. "For when she escapes…"

"Yours really is a unique relationship," Fuyuki said with an uneasy laugh.

Kururu was laid on the couch, Mois tending to him. While this happened the Platoon and Lee went into action, off to find Viper. Lee rode on the back of something Kirere had just finished making herself; a motorcycle nearly like Kururu's, except done in metallic purple. Lupapa rode with Dororo, and Koyuki, who was also coming along, opted for a ninja-style hang glider.

"Gunso-san!" a purple light streaked through the evening sky, and Keroro turned his head at the sound of his name. Tamama had flown to their side, and clinging onto him was a stern Romama. "Kii-chi sent me a message, I found him on my way over! Chunini-san was kidnapped and we're helping her?"

"That'd be the looks of it," Keroro answered.

"…Why?" asked both Romama and Tamama in unison. Keroro responded to this with an upward look, as though he were trying to think of a good answer himself.

"We're close!" Lee called out.

"Ohhh my head…" Chunini sat up and rubbed her forehead, now free from the bag she had been placed in an in some sort of strange dwelling. It was nondescript, save for a few pieces of furniture, and looked like a windowless apartment.

"I guess this is it then… No one's going to come for you," she muttered to herself, standing and kicking at the bag next to her. She felt for her choker, and frowned as she saw it wasn't there. "I probably deserve every bit of it, too."

She walked around, stretching a bit as she did so, but saw no one. She then went for each of the doors in the room, attempting to open them. Lupapa's words echoed in her head again, but it wasn't in Lupapa's voice now. The thoughts raced through Chunini's head as she went for the second door.

"Your sister's already been accepted into the military, as a pilot! Do you know how embarrassing it is to have a successful younger child? She's the one who's supposed to be learning from you, but it seems as though she's always carrying you along."

"It's okay! She goes at her own pace!" Kodada exclaimed as she sat beside her silent sister. "Chu-chan will find something she likes, just wait!"

"I have something I like," Chunini answered, clenching her fists a little tighter. Kodada looked to her sister, wide-eyed and silently begging for her to quiet. "No more engagements, no more job interviews. I know what I want to do."

"I'm all for hearing this…"

"I've been training… As a singer."

"And you're happy with that, Chunini?"

"Mm," Chunini gave a firm nod.

"Well, if you're going down that route, you're in no family of mine," the older Keronian stood up from the two, and looked sideways to Chunini. "It'd certainly save the embarrassment of introducing my lazy daughter to everyone. Kodada, you have bags to pack. It looks like your sister does, too."

"You… You two aren't serious, are you?" Kodada's mouth twitched to form a smile, and she held up her hands in a form of appeasement. This did nothing for the mood, and Chunini shot one more glare before standing and to Kodada's horror removing the wagon wheel crest on her helmet and the symbol on her stomach, then turning and walking out.

"Sorry, kiddo," she said to Kodada, looking back over at her younger sister once more.

"She'll be back," answered the older Keronian in a grunt. "She'll learn what a hard life is. I was never stern enough with her, that was my first mistake."

"Eeeehhhh?! Don't tell me I'm having one of those 'life-flashing-before-your-eyes-' experiences and it's about the old man! I have so many good memories, I don't need the ones of him mucking it up!" Chunini gripped onto her head and groaned. "I need to get out of here before I start going further back, or worse, further ahead!" she pulled on another door frantically, and much to her surprise this opened. She gave a gasp at what she saw in the room.

"This is…. That's…"

"This is it here! Drop here!" Lee called out.

"Eh?! But there's nothing there!" Tamama exclaimed.

"Ninja… Insight!" Dororo yelled out, and with this said he was able to see the empty field as more than a field. "There's a home, but it's buried underneath! I can see everything but an entrance!"

"Let's go down to get a closer—HEY! Wait!" Giroro shouted out as Lee hopped off of Kirere's scooter and landed perfectly crouched on the ground, quite some distance down.

"…Gero…. I have a hard time believing she's a full-blood Pekoponian," Keroro admitted.

"I wonder if she knew Paul!" Tamama asked himself. He then watched as Koyuki hopped down from her hang-glider and followed Lee down onto the ground.

"…Or perhaps she's just a ninja…" Keroro thought as an afterthought.

The rest of the team zoomed down, hid their transportation in the woods, and began to search for any signs of an entrance.

"Entrance… If I were an entrance I'd be… A door. But where's the door!?" Keroro asked himself as he searched through the trees, rubbing his chin.

"Hey. You," Romama said calmly behind Keroro, but this startled the sergeant enough to cause him to jump and break into a panicked run. He ended this run promptly by crashing into a tree.

"I found the door," Romama said, his voice unwavering as Keroro laid sprawled out on the forest floor.

"That's a heavy-looking door.." Kirere admitted as she laid eyes on the heavy metal block, which had been in the disguise of a tree.

"It won't be like that for long," Giroro loaded his gun, then took fire, spending all of the rounds only to find out, much to his horror, that not even a dent had been made. Lee shot at it, too, but no change. Kirere attempted to take off the bolts, but they wouldn't budge. Tamama impact, Romama's sword work, and Koyuki and Dororo's ninja techniques didn't work, either. Keroro kicked at it in frustration, but this didn't help at all.

"Well, we can say we tried!" he announced. "Good work, team! "A" for effort!"

"Hrm…" Lupapa tilted her head and looked at the heavy, unmoving lock on the door. She went underneath her cap, feeling around a bit until she pulled out a small rod only a few centimeters long, then knelt down. All watched as she played with the lock until it gave a small "click" and it swung open for them.

"Bravo, Lupa-chan!" Keroro exclaimed, clapping.

"Idiot. You were the one who was ready to pack it in and go home!" Giroro snarled.

"We'll want to stay close, there could be traps," Lee put another magazine in her gun and then walked into the darkened tunnel, her gun held and ready to be used. Koyuki followed after her, a dagger drawn and also ready to attack.

"I think I know what I wanna be when I grow up…" Kirere said to herself.

"Great, I'm already past being cool to her…" Giroro thought to himself sadly.

There was another door ahead, and Lupapa repeated the same task of taking a small rod and opening the door. It opened just as easily, and all walked through, Lee and Koyuki leading the way.

"It's just a regular apartment!" Keroro exclaimed. "Nothing extraordinary at all! What's the meaning of all of this?!"

"Maybe it's his secret base…" Koyuki surmised, placing her knife back in its holster and looking about.

"Could be some sort of underground bunker," Romama suggested. "The furniture's pretty standard for department stores, probably all piece-it-together yourself… It looks like it's just for show…" he noticed that this had drawn the looks of everyone around him, and his face flushed. "WHAT?! I can know about furniture if I want!"

"I have a feeling that even years from now he's not gonna stop surprising us," Tamama said to his sister.

"I smell Miss Chu's perfume, she's been in here…" Lee announced, sniffing at the air.

"I wondered what was so putrid-smelling…" Giroro followed this up with a sneeze, and sniffed.

"It's from her own line…It's unmistakable! It could only be her!" Lee said excitedly, and followed the scent to the same door Chunini had gone through before. Giroro at this point had to take a tissue and place it over his mouth to keep out the smell. It was as though once he knew it was there he could not stop smelling the sharp smell of citrus and jasmine.

Lupapa, too, had begun coughing, and Dororo noticed this.

"It does seem to be getting stronger the closer we get…" Dororo admitted. "Here, Lupapa-dono."

The ninja reached behind his head and began to untie his mask around his face, and thereby attracting Romama's interest. The rest seemed unfazed by this. The teal Keronian faltered as beneath the gray mask was a lighter-colored gray one.

"What were you thinking you were going to see?" Koyuki asked with a laugh.

"Well… I've just never seen him without it… Have you? I mean, you live with him…"

"I can't say I really ever paid attention…" Koyuki admitted in a mumble. "But it doesn't really even matter that much, and people wearing masks all the time was normal in the ninja village!"

"It's not budging, either. This seems to be a theme," Lee grumbled and kicked at the door.

"Well, let me…" Lupapa started to walk toward the door, but before she could make it, the room started to shake. Keroro, who was close to a wall, stepped his foot away as the floor slid away from him, then he realized this wasn't the floor, but the walls that were closing in on them slowly.

Giroro rushed over to the door they had entered in, but it didn't budge. Koyuki went to help him, but to no avail.

"Dororo!" she called out, and he nodded, understanding. They went to work making an exit from the crumbling roof.

"Lupapa-dono!" Dororo called out to the purple Keronian, who had rushed back to the door Lee had been at.

"Go on, get everyone out! I'm going for Chunini!" she cried out. She had finally broken the lock on the door and slid in, but by the time Lee went for it it was too late, and it had been locked once more. Dororo and Koyuki used a dual ninja attack, breaking through the roof until they reached a steel shell.

"More thick steel… You'd think he was running a prison…" Lee muttered, then fell on her knees. "There's not way out of here. If I'm to go, at least I know that Miss Chunini was nearby."

"Waa! Now's not the time to get like that!" Keroro yelped, and grabbed onto Lee's arm to pull her up. "Come on and use some of your manager magic to make it stop closing in on us!"

There came a cracking noise, and the steel split in half like an eggshell, revealing a full moon and clear night sky when the dirt and dust had cleared. Over them stood a dark being, with glowing white eyes and a foreboding shadow.

"Ma…Mama!?" Dororo yelped out in confusion.

"A mother always knows when her child's in trouble, Zeroro-kun," said the cheery blue Keronian woman as she stood in front of the rest of the group, spatula in hand. "I knew something was wrong when I came by and there was no one there!"

"We owe you a great deal, Mama," Dororo sighed gratefully, although it was clear his mind was preoccupied..

Kirere looked over into the opened underground room and shuddered; they had made it out just in time, and all that was left was a valley of crunched furniture.

"A few more moments and the only name any of us would have been able to go by would have been "panini"," Keroro muttered, then looked up at Lee, who was knelt down in front of the wreckage looking distraught. He immediately went to take this back, but couldn't muster the right words.

"It's okay, she probably got moved to somewhere else!" Kirere said, consoling Lee with a hand on the woman's shirt sleeve.

"Actually they're pretty close!" Koyuki said cheerily, and sniffed in the air. "The scent's strong over here!"

"What're you saying? They're invisible?" Giroro suggested.

"I knew I could sense Lupapa-dono here!" Dororo exclaimed.

"Lupapa?" his mother repeated.

Lee sniffed and pulled out her GPS system, and her eyes went wide, "…I… I don't believe it! You're right… Miss Chu is… Right under there!" she pointed to a spot Keroro stood on, and the green Keronian blinked, then stepped off of the ground over him.

Giroro bent down and wiped away some of the dirt, then went to grab onto the handle, stopped, and backed away, saying to Koyuki, "It's probably best you handle this part…"

She nodded and grabbed onto the handle, pulling it up and revealing a rung ladder. One at a time they descended, placing their hands against the long stretch of wall to the end, which was another door. This one opened easily, much to their surprise.

Once they were inside, all looked about, stunned.

"We walked into a museum!" Tamama gasped, and Romama wandered over to a dark wooden fabric chair.

"This is French, around the Victorian era…" he said in disbelief, then turned red-faced and shouted again as he noticed the eyes on him. "I live next to a furniture store, all right?!"

"Sure," they answered in unison.

Kirere gasped and rushed over to a glass case, not hesitating to press her face up against it.

"This is from Chu's first tour! It's all of the actual costumes! The one she wore to Singapore, the one when she went to New Zealand to open up for that one act—Oh! And this one she was going to wear to Hong Kong before she had to delay that concert! Wow!"

"These are all things dealing with that very subject, it seems…" Keroro muttered as he looked about.

"These are the prototypes for the dolls that never went into production," Lee said as she peered into a glass case. "I was under the impression that they'd been destroyed."

"This still isn't as big as the museum to Fuuki Momochi has at home," Tamama admitted.

"I think we're dealing with a stalker…" Giroro said to Dororo. "He's planned this for some time…"

They turned down a hall, and out of another entry came the Viper, carrying a tray with the cups on it. A bewildered stare was exchanged between parties, and after a moment of this he threw up the tray and took off running down the hall. The Keron forces followed, stopping as they were blocked by of all people, Chunini and Lupapa.

"Hehe… Aww, looks like the whole army came out for me! I feel so loved!" Chunini giggled.

"I know how this looks, but there's been a misunderstanding," Lupapa explained.

"…So he's just a fan?" Tamama repeated as they sat in a well-maintained living room, full of more Chu paraphernalia. Chunini sat at a low table, smiling and signing all that Viper passed to her.

"We went through all of this trouble… Because of some idiot's crush?!" Giroro snarled. "That's ridiculous!"

"Hehe, it's cute!" Koyuki admitted with a giggle. Next to her sat Dororo's mother, who looked as though she found this amusing as well.

"That first room was a trap one, but one of the doors led to his real home. He settled here when he learned Chunini lived here… Why someone would purposefully be on the same planet as Chunini is beyond my understanding," Lupapa muttered.

"That's all of it now?" Chunini finished singing the concert book, and Viper nodded.

"I've been a fan since your first album! Up until then my life had been one of violence, lying, and cheating! But your songs spoke to me! I've been a collector ever since! I even have the air freshener version of the men's cologne you put out last year, and it's not supposed to be out for another two months!" Viper answered excitedly, and Chunini stood and closed the pen, then reached up and untied the ribbons from either side of her helmet, allowing the sides to fall and give it the look of a regular female Keronian's helmet. She held out the orange ribbons to the speechless Viper.

"Take them as a gift of a grateful artist," she said humbly.

"She plays gracious off so well…" Tamama muttered.

"I think I feel sick," Romama grumbled.

"Wa… WOW! Wait until I tell the fanclub about this!" Viper gasped in excitement, and Chunini laughed warmly.

"Why are you doing this for me?" Lupapa asked suspiciously, and Chunini answered as she stood in front of the mirror in Kirere's room, the little girl laid down on the bed watching the two older women.

"So that we're even. I don't want you thinking you have anything on me now, fatass," Chunini answered coolly. "It's not my fault you had the poor judgment to go risk your life for me."

"I felt bad for what I'd said," Lupapa admitted. "I had no idea your family had kicked you out, I always thought because you were on good terms with your sister you'd come for a good home."

"I only joined the military so I could be with my sister again," Chunini answered. "I wanted some family to come home to at the end of the day… It's no fun being successful if there's no one to talk to about it!"

"Is that why you bother the people here?" Lupapa asked.

"Everyone needs one relative that they dread coming over! I'm just filling my obligation, as I see it!" Chunini answered. "There, you're done."

"And none of this is going to catch on fire, right?" Lupapa asked. Chunini patted her on the back and laughed.

"I don't mess with things like that. Now don't keep them waiting!" Chunini answered. "Go on…"

"…We're even now…"

"More than even," Chunini answered with a smile, and began to pack up her makeup as Kirere hopped off of her bed.

"Do you think you could give me some tips with that?!" Kirere asked excitedly.

"Sorry, not enough hours in the day to even start," Chunini replied as she finished packing and then left.

"…I think I was just insulted…" Kirere said questioningly.

"Are you sure you have to go so soon, Mama?" Dororo asked, and she nodded and smiled through her mask.

"I'm afraid the excitement was just too much for me! I think I'll need a vacation from this vacation, Zeroro!" she laughed. "Where's your friend at?"

"She had to go, but she sends her—"

"I'm here," Lupapa answered. She stunned the room into silence as she stood there, her hands folded.

"Woah, she actually looks… Non-threatening for once!" Keroro said with awe, and Lupapa looked offward, a bit uncomfortable in the black and red kimono and sandals. She had light makeup on, and on one side of her helmet there was a white lily placed on it.

"Thank you for being friends with my son! Thank you, thank you!" Dororo's mother bowed to the woman, near weeping, and Dororo became embarrassed by this, and went to his mother's side.

"Mama, you don't need to do that!" Dororo explained.

"May I go with you to d the train station?" Lupapa knelt down in front of the older woman, and took her hand to help her back up.

"Yes, of course!" she dabbed her eyes. "Thank you…"

"Mama!" Dororo admonished his mother lightly.

"That was a surprisingly nice thing you did, Miss Chu," Lee said as they watched the three walk away out of the base. "Are you going soft?"

"…Lee, you know me. There's no chance of that," Chunini answered, eyeing the "KICK ME" sign pinned to Lupapa's back. "…I feel fatigued now. I say we take a nice, long vacation, Lee. We both need some time off…."

"I'm going to agree with you on that, Miss Chu. Where would you care to go?"

"Oh, I'm not sure… Let's start at the Bahamas and work our way around from there!" Chunini answered with a confident smile.


	9. Fuyuki: The Occult Girl Appears! Pt1

Episode 5  
Fuyuki: A Mysterious Occult Girl Makes her Appearance!

Part 1:

"Is that him?"

"Yup, that's him," answered the other female voice from the tree branch outside of the school.

"This is useless, what are we doing back here, anyway?"

"Quiet, old man, you talk to loud!" answered the younger female voice. "That's supposed to be the kid who knows ever more about the occult than me… Hinata Fuyuki…."

"His first name is Fuyuki, they say it backwards here," the male voice reminded her.

The more mature female voice shushed him, "All right, well, it looks as though we found him, so what're your plans now?"

"Easy; challenge him…"

"Challenge him? That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard… What kind of challenge could you have over the occult?!"

The mature female voice and the younger one both shushed him now.

"If I can wait a little bit longer… I think things will fall into my favor…" answered the younger voice.

"Thank… Thank you for letting me come home with you today, Fuyuki-kun… It… It really…."

"It's no problem, Nishizawa-san! We have to prepare our booth for club recruits anyway!" Fuyuki answered, cutting off the poor girl from expressing her feelings any further. "I just wish we could think up a few more strategies to get more people to join…"

"Well… Whatever Fuyuki-kun can come up with, I'm sure it'll be just great!" said Momoka cheerfully, all while thinking, 'If someone does join, and ruins my Fuyuki-kun one-on-one time, there WILL be hell to pay….'

"Come on, let's get posters made!" Fuyuki exclaimed, snapping her out of her bitter thoughts.

"Hehe, right!" she giggled, but stopped, as did Fuyuki, as a rumbling came from right outside his front door.

"Eh? Fuyuki? What's going on?" Natsumi, who was walking up with Koyuki beside her, had just turned in to go to the house, and also heard the same rumbling.

All gave a yell as the front door gave way, and out barreled a huge wave of water. Washed up in the wave already was the Keroro Platoon, with Mois, Haruki (who looked like he'd been in the middle of repairing something) and Romama. All wore looks of panic matching the four schoolchildren, who were swept up in the water, that had transformed into a water spout.

When Fuyuki did wake up, he was coughing and soaked with water, but the floor around him was dry. He looked ahead, blurry-eyed, and gave a yell as into focus came a great white shark. He backed away from it, stopping as it swam away, disinterested in the boy.

"Gero… I should've listened to Natsumi-dono and not run the sink and bathwater at the same time…" Keroro still held his toothbrush in hand from where he had been brushing his teeth, and the others were sprawled out on the ground, still knocked out. Fuyuki stood up, and only now got a good look at his surroundings…

It looked like an indoor stadium of some sort, with the key difference that instead of a white dome above his head, there was a darkened teal color. A school of fish swam in front of the dome, and it finally clicked with him his exact surroundings.

"Wha…. Gunso! Gunso, wake up!" Fuyuki pleaded, kneeling down in front of the frog and shaking him.

"Ehh…? Fuyuki-dono?" Keroro blinked a few times, then looked about, and gave a squeak of a gasp. "How did we end up at the aquarium?!"

"I don't think this is the aquarium, Gunso!" Fuyuki exclaimed worriedly. At this time, Natsumi woke up, too, and kicked away Haruki, who to her horror had been right next to her. The mechanic gave only a grumble in response.

"Stupid Frog, what've you done now?!" she demanded in a yell, and Keroro looked helpless.

"This isn't something of my doing, Natsumi-dono!" he shouted out in defense. "We're as surprised as you and Fuyuki-dono!"

"Ehhh… Haruki? Dad? Papa?" Kirere muttered as she came to. She frowned, shook one of her gloves a bit, then removed it, allowing the sea water and lone fish to rush out.

"Wait…" Natsumi stood and took a few steps into the center of the large dome. "I think… I remember something like this once before…"

"Mm, I also recall something similar to this, Natsumi-dono," Keroro nodded and stood next to her, looking around at the ocean passing by them idly.

"It's about time you woke up!" a set of the doors in stadium slid open, and out from the shadows stepped out a girl, no older than Fuyuki and Momoka.

She wasn't a particularly tall girl, but she was scrawny, and dark-skinned, with jet black hair parted in the center and tied in a loose bun in the back. She wore a loose pink scarf about her neck, a three-quarter sleeve gray shirt, a few golden bangles, and dark jeans. Her brown sandals walked silently on the grass, and she smiled wickedly at the group, her dark brown eyes sizing up each of them.

"They wouldn't let me wake you up, said it was rude…" she said in Japanese, although she still maintained her Indian accent as she spoke.

"They? Who's they?" asked Natsumi.

The girl sighed and looked off to her left, bored with Natsumi already, "That doesn't matter… I just brought your friends here so they could watch me beat you, Fuyuki Hinata."

"Beat me?" Fuyuki repeated.

"But Fuyuki-dono's not particularly good in anything competitive!" Keroro chimed in.

"…Gunso…"

"Wow, so Keronians come in all different sorts of colors… And intelligences," she smirked. "You're more famous than you know, Fuyuki. A lot of us occultists know about you… You're one of the best in the world. And if I beat you, I'll be the best then!"

"What… Fuyuki-kun….?" Momoka's eyes fluttered open upon sensing something distressing Fuyuki, and sat up slowly. "Fuyuki-kun?"

"Listen here, you! I don't know what kind of weird alien you're supposed to be, but you need to get us back home right now!" Natsumi snapped, placing her hands on her hips and speaking sharply to the girl.

"I'm a Pekoponian, just like a lot of you," she answered. "And you really should be nicer to hosts!"

"Pekoponian?" Giroro repeated. "Where did she learn that word?"

"We don't even want to be here!" Natsumi snapped.

"What kind of challenges did you have in mind?" Fuyuki asked, and the Indian girl grinned; she was getting somewhere now…

"Like I told you, your knowledge of the occult versus mine," she answered, kicking at the ground and grinning, "Your friends can be spectators!"

"Fuyuki…."

"It's all right, Nee-chan. I don't think she's going to let us go unless I do what she wants…" Fuyuki answered calmly to his sister. "All right, I accept your offer, um…."

"Chandi," she replied.

"Shandi?" Keroro repeated.

"Sandy?" said Fuyuki questioningly.

"CHANDI!" she barked back and stomped her foot. "If you can't get it right don't say it!"

"So moody…" Keroro murmured.

"Kick her butt, Fuyuki!" Natsumi called out.

By the time he and Chandi the occult girl had taken their spots in a game-show like setup, complete with podiums and buzzers, the rest of the platoon was awake and now watching from the sidelines.

"There's so much to this that feels odd…" Giroro admitted as he sat there, folded arms, in between Natsumi and Kirere.

"Don't we need an announcer for this?" Fuyuki asked Chandi, who looked pleased and confident with herself as she stood beside him.

"….You're right… You! The red one!" Chandi called and pointed to Giroro. "You'll be the host!"

"W-What?! Why me?!" Giroro asked in a yelp.

"The sooner this is done, the sooner she'll let us go…" Natsumi answered, then tossed him out onto the field.

Then there Giroro was, looking tired, annoyed, holding a microphone in one hand, cards in another, and now with a bowtie on. "…I hate this…" he muttered.

"Go get 'um, Dad!" Kirere chirped out.

"…" Giroro sighed, then read over the first question. "Name the first colonists who traveled and mysteriously van—"

"Roanoke!" Fuyuki called out after buzzing in quickly. Chandi frowned and glared at her competition, a strong look of determination over her darkened features.

"One point, Fuyuki Hinata… Next question… The process by one is sent back in time and—"

"A time slip!" Chandi rang in for this one, and smiled confidently, straight at Fuyuki. Tamama looked over at Momoka, whose hands were gripping the armrests of her seat. She gripped them so hard that after a few moments they snapped right off.

"Boy, I need to find friends who aren't kids or aliens, this is beginning to be too much trouble for me!" Haruki sighed, and Natsumi went directly into shrew mode.

"It's not like we asked you to come over, Bill Dodger! What were you doing at our place today, anyway?"

"Fixing a washer…" Haruki answered, and at this point Keroro, who was sitting out of Natsumi's sight, grew panicked, and motioned for him to shut up.

"What was wrong with it… Exactly….?" Natsumi asked.

"One point, Fuyuki Hiniata!" Giroro called out.

"I hate game shows…." Romama muttered, leaning forward and outwardly bored.

"N-Natsumi-dono, forgive me!"

"Could you say, it all came out in the wash?"

"…I really hate game shows…" Romama mumbled as his nephew went flying over his head.

"One point, Sandy!"

"Chandi!" she shouted back.

The rest of the round went through, with the Keroro Platoon and company watching as Giroro went through question after question, and the round came to a tie.

"Is it me, or is he really getting into it?" Keroro asked Kururu as Giroro was now much more at ease and lively, emulating a regular Japanese game show host almost.

"What does he think he's hosting, Iron Chef?" Tamama wondered aloud.

"This is so embarrassing…" Kirere muttered, burying her face in her hands.

"Kuku, wait until he sees the playback!" Kururu grinned widely and held up his video camera a little higher.

"And it looks as though we have a tie!" Giroro announced. "For this we move on to our sudden death question!"

"Wait… I want to up the stakes a little bit…" Chandi said sharply.

"Up the stakes?" Natsumi said to herself.

"The winner gets to be the king of all occultists…" Chandi began. "…The loser gives up on all occult for good."

"What?!" there was a gasp in the audience.

"Fu… Fuyuki-dono wouldn't do something so foolish!" Keroro sputtered. "He's the more level-headed of us!"

"Ahhh… It seems as though the stakes have been raised! Will Fuyuki Hinata chicken out and accept defeat, or take the strange Pekoponian's offer?!" Giroro asked dramatically.

"What in the hell are you doing encouraging him!?" Natsumi barked.

"Ugggghhhh…" Kirere gave a groan, and buried her face even deeper.

"Hehehe…" Tamama giggled at his sister's plight, and then looked up as Fuyuki cleared his throat.

'All occult?' he thought, now sweating a bit, and his hand shaking as it held the buzzer. 'My books, my websites, the occult club… Gunso and everyone…'

"And your answer to the challenge?!" Giroro asked, and held the microphone out to Fuyuki.

"I… I decline…" Fuyuki answered quietly. "It… It isn't worth losing everything for!"

"Good job, Fuyuki…" Natsumi whispered beneath her breath.

"Heh… So you are a chicken after all… Jeeze, I would've thought you'd been at least a little bit tougher!" Chandi sighed. "What a disappointment…"

"That's enough, Chandi, you've had your fun," the group looked about as they heard a gently chiding female voice. It was followed up by a gruff one that made Romama's blood chill.

"The only thing that was a disappointment was how much of a waste of time this was!" Rokiki snapped as he walked through the same doors Chandi had come through, a blue, floating alien at his side.

The strange alien, the group realized after a moment, was a Meronian. She was a lighter blue than the ones they had met in past, with the same body shape, but with bright, yellow eyes, and wearing a dress that was bell shaped, with a large gold band around the center of it. On the top of the blue dress was a golden anchor symbol, one that was also on her forehead, and she had a small nub of a horn protruding from high on her forehead and further to the back. She had a short, fin-like extension coming from the back of her head and circling around halfway, giving the impression of bobbed short hair.

Next to her was the red tattooed Keronian, who looked none too happy as he walked out onto the field to fetch Chandi, and still wore his full uniform, looking as fierce as the day they had met him.

"I knew it was a mistake to tell you about any of them…" Rokiki sighed.

"Aw, I just wanted some fun…" Chandi moaned. "You two are so boring all of the time!"

"I think I missed some vital information…." Keroro mumbled.

"Ummm… Chandi-san, would you mind telling us what all of this is about?" Fuyuki asked nervously, and the Meronian floated over to him and laughed, bowing apologetically.

"Chandi just wanted someone to play with… She remember Rokiki-kun telling her about you, and she wouldn't be quiet until we introduced you!... We'd thought it'd be something a bit more civil, though…."

"It's not a battle to the death or anything…." Chandi sighed. "I was just having a little fun is all."

"Chandi-san has a really weird sense of fun…." Fuyuki said aloud to himself with a nervous chuckle.

The Meronian now sat in the field with the others, beside Chandi and Rokiki. Rokiki sat with his arms folded, looking grumpy and ready to strike at a moment's notice. The Meronian was the complete opposite of him, wearing a cheery grin. Chandi looked bored and ready to move onto something else.

"So were you here for a long time, too?" Fuyuki asked the Meronian, and she giggled.

"Only a few years…" she answered.

"Don't tell them why unless they want to think you're totally insane…" Rokiki said, shutting his eyes.

"Eh? Why did you come here, um…."

"Mora," she answered. "And Rokiki-kun's right… I know that it'd sound insane to the regular person, but I came out here to fulfill my dream… A few years ago a fortune teller from a different planet visited my town, and told me that the love of my life would be here…"

"And she fell for it and came to this hellhole purposefully…" Rokiki added in a mutter.

Mora's cheerfulness didn't seem deterred by Rokiki's attitude, "So I came to Pekopon, started searching, and in the process I found an abandoned baby… I guess you could say I fell in love when I saw her, so I took her as my own…"

"And she took me and raised me," Chandi answered, giving a fond smile to Mora.

"So how do you play in this?" Romama asked, and Rokiki shut his eyes and flushed a bit.

"We were going through Australia looking at some crop circles that had been left there and saw him," Chandi answered.

"I was being attacked by a group of wild animals, and I was overcome. They helped me fend them off is all…"

"What sort of animal?" Romama asked.

"…Kangaroos…" Rokiki answered quietly, and Chandi snorted.

"They were wallabies!" she snapped, and Rokiki grunted. "That's smaller than a kangaroo!"

"Now, now, let's not get into anything…" Mora started, floating up and setting herself in between the two. "Rokiki-kun is indebted to us for saving his life—"

"And he lost a competition to me!" Chandi answered excitedly.

"Not hard to believe, but what kind of competition did you challenge him to, anyway?" asked Natsumi, and Rokiki was quick to go on the defense.

"It doesn't matter!" he shouted. "All that matters now is that I'm stuck with these two for at least a decade, being pulled along by the whims of some foolish Pekoponian brat."

"We take you on a lot of fun adventures, Roki! Searching all the occult mysteries of the world… What's not to love?!" Chandi said with a devilish grin.

"…Excuse me…" Romama was stoned-faced as he stood up and walked to the doors Chandi, Rokiki, and Mora had come out of, shutting them behind him. All watched this curiously, but this turned to shock as there next came a loud series of laughing.

"…Is that was Ojiisama's laugh is like?" Keroro wondered aloud.

"It's kinda scary…." Kirere mumbled.

"Why that little—" Rokiki went to chase after Romama, but Chandi lifted him up, holding his arms down in the process.

"What did we say about anger management?!" she barked, and Rokiki, after a few more moments, relaxed, allowing his shoulders to fall, and Chandi set him back down on the ground. He went make another attack as Romama walked back out, wiping his eyes and holding his aching side, and Chandi and Mora both held the dark red Keronian back this time.

"Do you think we could go home now?" asked Natsumi nicely, although her voice was tired from the excitement of the day.

"Oh, certainly! And it'll be much nicer than the water spout, I promise!" Mora floated up and began to form a watery globe in her hands. The globe began to light, but this was interrupted as there was a crash, and water burst through the roof. The hole quickly repaired itself, but it was clear after a moment that something… Or someone… Had gotten in.

Rokiki went for his first instinct as he reached for his sword, and the other aliens and humans bolted up at the sight of the shadowy black thing with the huge black wings.

"Mora, you and Chandi run, I've got this!" Rokiki called out, and Mora nodded, pulling along the human girl. "Come on, this way!" she called out, motioning to the others.

Mora stopped her quick dash to the exit when the black thing swooped down in front of her and Chandi, and Fuyuki gave a gasp.

Rokiki went to attack first, drawing his sword and cutting at the creature. It only molded back to its original wing-like shape after a moment, catching Rokiki by surprise. Mora went to fight it now, forming one of the shape orbs of water she had before and throwing it at the intruder, only to have it not deterred by her attack in the slightest way, and to have it open something that looked like a set of massive black fangs, intent on devouring bother the Keronian and Meronian.

"Alisa-san, WAIT!" Fuyuki called out, coming in between the pale redhead and her alien father and the tan Indian girl and her mother.

"…Fuyuki… She tried to hurt you…"

"N-No, you have it all wrong!" Fuyuki answered. "Chandi-san's just… Someone who wanted to play a game is all…"

"A Nebulon?" Rokiki was stunned as the black alien returned to its normal shape, forming two cat ears atop Alisa's head. "You brought her to someone who's friends with a Nebulon!?"

"They're a lot nicer to us than you were…" Natsumi said sharply, and glared down at Rokiki.

"Come on, let's not start anything…" Fuyuki said with a nervous laugh as Rokiki returned this glare.

"I've had enough with all of these fools… It's time we got going…" Rokiki said, and turned away from the group.

"Right! Back to the Hinatas house!" Chandi exclaimed.

"…I've never met someone so straight-forward…" Fuyuki mumbled.

"At least Alisa-chan's always polite…" Natsumi sighed.


	10. Fuyuki: The Occult Girl Appears! Pt2

Episode 5:  
Fuyuki: A Mysterious Occult Girl Makes Her Appearance!  
Part 2

"So you followed the water spout?" Mora now sat in the Hinata home, sipping some tea. Across from her was Nevula, and next to each "parent" sat their daughters. "I'd thought that'd be invisible to everyone! That's quite impressive!"

"What were you doing around here anyway, Alisa-chan?" asked Fuyuki as he took a seat at one of the shorter sides of the table. Momoka, who was in the kitchen, was red-faced and livid.

"Daddy and I found this," Alisa set on the table a stone-shaped item wrapped in a purple cloth, and undid the cloth. Both Fuyuki and Chandi's eyes shined in excitement at that which Alisa had brought.

"A crystal skull?!" Fuyuki gasped, holding it up and examining it.

"Wowww! That's a real one, too!" Chandi exclaimed. "I'll have to do a lot of catching up now to get my occult collection that cool!"

Chandi didn't catch the look from Alisa… An icy glare that could kill.

All this while Mora and Nevula chatted on pleasantly about their children, making like usual parents and bragging about their daughters.

"Mora, can we go to South America?" Chandi asked excitedly, breaking Mora's talk.

"I was thinking staying in one place might be a nice change, actually…" Mora said with a bit of thought. "There's a lot of business I could do here, it seems! Plus it'd be nice for you to go to a school with children your own age, get some roots!"

"You have a job, Mora-san?" asked Fuyuki. While this went on, Giroro was walking toward the glass doors, a fresh batch of sweet potatoes in hand to cook later that evening.

"Mm," she nodded. "I pride myself as a professional matchmaker!" All eyes were on Giroro as he tripped out of the glass door, sending his sweet potatoes flying.

"What exactly do you make matches of?" asked Alisa, and Mora scratched at her chin and laughed a little nervously.

"…I… I think I broke my pride… And some other things…" Giroro grunted, rising from the ground and dusting himself off, then picking up his fallen sweet potatoes. "Eh?! Hey, what in the hell are you doing here?!" he fumed as he noticed there was already someone seated in front of his fire; Rokiki.

"Figuring out what a soldier today does that doesn't involve wasting time," Rokiki answered bluntly. "And I won't be in the same house as a Nebulon."

"But why are you here?!"

"She said you were cooking," Rokiki answered.

"She?" Giroro repeated, and out came Kirere, hot sauce and curry powder in hand. Kirere stopped short at the look of disbelief she drew from Giroro.

"…After what I saw today, I've never seen such a poorly-run operation…" Rokiki continued. "You have children running all over the place, and Mora had an incredibly easy time breaking through your security… It makes me weep how lax the military has become."

"We make up for it in personality and perseverance," Giroro returned sharply, glaring at Rokiki. It was then that Kirere noticed something as the two sat, sharing equally tense looks.

…There were similarities, but… Kirere shook the idea out of her head and sat down next to them. It was too terrifying an idea to even consider.

"Roki!" Chandi stuck her head out of the glass door and called out to him; Kirere breathed a sigh of relief. "We're staying here tonight!" she declared.

"Great… " Rokiki grumbled.

"Why do you let her boss you around like that?" Giroro asked Rokiki, who sat in between Kirere and he, looking quite annoyed at the prospect of staying.

"Because above all things I'm a person of my word," Rokiki answered, and stood. "I made a stupid bet in a competition, and now I get to pay for it."

"Hey, where's he going?" Kirere asked her father quietly as Rokiki wandered away from the campsite.

"To get some fresh air!" Rokiki shouted back.

It was dark, lonely, and quiet at the usually lively Hinata house now. Mora had taken up bunking with Kirere for the night, while Chandi had taken the couch in the living room. But the couch was empty.

Instead, the Indian girl was on the roof of the home, looking upward at the sky and at the brilliant stars. This was blacked out by the same flapping pair of wings that had descended upon her before, and Alisa looked down at her, questioning, cold, and sizing up the girl, to see if there was any potential threat in her.

"Fuyuki's got a lot of strange friends," Chandi said with quietly with a grin to Alisa. "So are you from another planet, like your dad? Or are you like me, and from Earth?"

Alisa gave no answer, then took off in flight again.

"A lot of strange friends…" Chandi repeated quietly as she watched Alisa disappear.

"She really left in a hurry, didn't she?" Natsumi yawned as she walked out that morning, tying her hair into its usual pigtails. "You'd think she'd taken lessons from the Bill Dodger on how to sneak out like that in the middle of the night!"

"Mora-san and Rokiki-san are both gone, too," Fuyuki said as he stood in the kitchen, still in the middle of eating his breakfast.

"The fewer pushy Pekoponians, the better, I say!" Keroro said with an affirming nod as he took a stand beside Fuyuki, broom already in one hand and dressed in full cleaning regalia.

"That's not really nice, Gunso…" Fuyuki said in admonishment, and Keroro only huffed.

"I might actually have to agree with Stupid Frog on this one, Fuyuki… You drag home way too many weird things... Including Stupid Frog and his stupid friends."

"N-Now wait just a minute, Natsumi-dono! I thought we were on the same team!"

"With you? Yeah, right! Now out of the way, I need to get ready for school. Unlike you, I know what a productive day's like."

"Your words cut me, Natsumi-dono… They really cut me…"

"Just make sure you finish up your work before you go wasting your time!" Natsumi called out as she rushed up the stairs. Keroro waited, listening, until he saw the Hinata children rush out, and he pulled off his bandanna and wiped his forehead.

"Looking busy can be tiring work…" he said to himself, and hurried back to his room. "It took forever, but I managed to save just enough…"

He pulled out from beneath his bed a few bills, then felt an icy presence just as he finished counting them.

"…I hope that's towards the invasion fund… Or perhaps reinforcements in security, after yesterday's fiasco…" Giroro said darkly.

"Oh! Giroro Goucho! I was just going to drop off some money I owed Ojiisama at his work!" Keroro said with a nervous chuckle as he spun around, hiding the money behind his back.

"I was just wanting some fresh air… How about I tag along with you?" Giroro asked calmly.

"I… I'm not really sure it's safe leaving the base unguard—" but Keroro was greeted with a high-powered gun to the forehead, and gulped. "Then again, you do look a little flushed from yesterday!"

"I'm glad we came to some sort of agreement," Giroro lowered his gun, and Keroro gave a groan of disappointment at having been caught.

"A new day, and I already feel better about it…" Momoka sniffed the fresh air and smiled serenely. "Oh, Fuyuki-kun! Over here!"

"Oh, Nishizawa-san!" Fuyuki called back. Already his sister was walking next to Koyuki, who was practically hugging Natsumi, and Momoka rushed over to Fuyuki, and began the walk beside him.

"I'm glad we could run into one another like this…" Momoka began quietly.

"Me, too, actually!" Fuyuki exclaimed, and Momoka gasped in delight. This quickly turned to heartbreak as he followed it up with, "We still haven't talked about how to get more members into the occult club!"

"O…. Oh…"

"I was thinking we could start with posters, and then…" Fuyuki continued off, but Momoka's mind trailed off into a million directions as he went on.

About this time, Giroro and Keroro were coming close to Romama's dance studio. At this same time, Keroro was suffering his own heartbreak, thinking of the deluxe Gunpla that had come exclusive to only a few local hobby shops in the city, their closest one being one of the handful.

"Excuse me!" an alien floated past them at breakneck speed, causing both to nearly fall on the ground.

"I wonder what that was all about…." Keroro muttered.

"That idiot could get a fine for going that fast!" Giroro grumbled, and then they were at Romama's dance studio.

"O… Ojiisama…" Keroro looked down at the floor, a few shades paler than usual. Romama stopped his class in the middle of their routine and wandered over to them.

"…Did someone die?" he ventured to ask.

"I came to return the money I borrowed from you last month…" Keroro held out the crumpled bills to a puzzled Romama.

"Money?" Romama repeated.

"You don't remember, but you loaned it to me…" Keroro said monotonously. "…Please take it before parting becomes even more soul-crushing…"

"…Um, thank you…" Romama said as he flipped through the bills. "I… I really let you borrow this much!?"

"…Please go back to being mute Ojiisama for a moment…"

Romama tucked away the money in his black shirt and was about to say something, but his facial expression turned to one of shock as he looked past Keroro and Giroro. Both Keronians turned around, and were also shocked at what they saw setting up shop.

Aside from Fuyuki's going on about the occult club, his company had been enough for Momoka's day to be made.

"…I forgot my pencil… Excuse me, do you have one?" there was a tap on her back and Momoka searched through her bag and retrieved one, snapping it in half with her thumb as she turned and made eye contact with the person in the seat behind her.

"You?!" both shouted at once.

"What… What're you doing here?!" Momoka growled. "Are you some kind of creepy stalker?!"

"I didn't think I'd be in your class, honest!" Chandi replied in surprise.

"Why are you trying to ruin my life?" she snarled quietly.

"Chandi-san?" Momoka spun back around, switching back into sweet Momoka mode in the process.

"O-Oh, Fuyuki-kun! I didn't see you there!" Momoka said with a nervous chuckle, although inside still she was boiling with rage.

"Do you think she's in a gang?" asked one student to another as they glanced at the strange-looking girl behind Momoka.

"Mora-san's setting up a store here, too?" Keroro said to himself as he looked up at the fresh neon blue sign with Giroro.

"How tacky…" Giroro said with a snort. "What sort of people need a stranger to help them find someone, anyway?"

"You're too old-fashioned romantic for your own good, Giroro Goucho…" Keroro said flatly to his friend.

"And that should go back there, and—Please don't drop the—Oh! It's you two, from yesterday! Hinata Fuyuki's friends!" Mora stopped her rushing around and landed down on the ground, standing in front of the two. "Did you come by for advice? I'm afraid we're not open yet…."

"Uhhh no, no, nothing like that!" Keroro waved his hands out and laughed. "We were just surprised to see you here, Mora-san!"

"Hehe, well, I did say we were thinking about setting roots here!" Mora reminded them.

"Don't tell me Rokiki's working here, too…" Giroro started, and Mora's smile faded.

"I haven't seen Rokiki-kun… I offered him a job here, but he got angry and stormed off, saying he'd find his own job, not charity…. He's got too much pride for his own good, I think…"

"I know how that is…" Keroro said sagely.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Giroro snapped. The corporal was taken aback as the police, who had been rushing down the aisle while they spoke, had him pinned to a wall.

"Is this him, ponyon?" asked Ponyon, and an old, mustached, slug-like alien in glasses and classic bartender wear slowly made his way to the front and adjusted his glasses.

"What the hell's the meaning of this!?" Giroro snapped, struggling against the robots that held him pinned.

"Giroro, don't struggle, we'll never get you a good lawyer they tack on resisting arrest!" Keroro cried.

"But I didn't do anything!" Giroro snapped.  
The bartender-looking alien looked over Giroro for a moment, then shook his head. "No…. This one was covered in tattoos… Probably Space Yakuza…"

"There won't be any gang activity on my watch, ponyon! Is there any chance he might've gone back to your bar, ponyon?"

"….Well…. There may be…. Or he may be at another one…. I know a ramen stand that sells… Sake…"

Ponyon then sped off, the robots let go of Giroro, sending him falling to the ground, and the bartender slunk behind the police slowly.

"A red Keronian… With tattoos? Oh, no!" Mora gasped, and then followed the police, also rushing past the bartender.

"Ugh!" Giroro slipped back in the shoulder that had been displaced by the sudden blow, and rubbed the aching joint. "Keroro, you don't mean…"

"What's this about some Keronian acting up?" Romama wandered over to them, implying he also had fallen victim to the police by the sore shoulder he was rubbing.

"They think it could be Rokiki, Ojiisama…" Keroro explained, and Romama shot his head back.

"That's impossible, he'd never get that drunk…"

"What the HELL does someone have to do around here to get a job with a little bloodshed?!" came a bellow from down the way, and all three looked to one another, then rushed toward the voice.

All through the day, Momoka had suffered in silence… Through the introduction of the new transfer student, through the classes, through lunch, in which Chandi had disappeared for a time, until it was time for club… Then there she was again, right in the middle of Momoka's Fuyuki alone time.

"Eep!" Momoka slipped immediately upon entering the door, and both of the other teenagers rose up.

"Nishizawa-san, are you all right?" Fuyuki asked, and Momoka nodded, easing herself back up gently and hobbling to her seat.

"I think it could be twisted… I might need an ice pack…" she answered.

"I'll be right back!" Fuyuki called out, rushing out of the room before Momoka could squeak out another word of protest. The wrong one had gone…

"…Mora pulled that once, too…"

"What… What would make you say that?" Momoka asked innocently.

"I don't like your boyfriend like that, you don't have to worry…"

"Why not?!" Momoka stood and pounded on the desk. "Fuyuki-kun's… The best! What's there not to see!?"

Chandi brought up her bag onto the desk and pulled out a folder, revealing a glossy photo of what looked to be some sort of actor.

"He's one of the top adventure actors out there… I carry it everywhere, I even have copies, and a smaller one for my wallet."

"Really? Do you have a shrine, too?" Momoka then read Chandi's expression, and sat back. "…Forget I said anything…"

"I don't compete for love, only for more important things," Chandi continued. "Like longest continuous jump-roping! I've been able to beat my own record five times!"

"So… You're not after Fuyuki-kun…"

"Only his title as one of the best occultists around. You have my word as his main competition!" Chandi replied, and Momoka gave a sigh of relief. While she did this, she kept her hands beneath the table; this was switching off the emergency reinforcements that she had set in place, just in case things hadn't gone so well.

"This new threat has been dropped to the threat level yellow for the time being!" Paul called out to the command center on the other end of the transmitter, seeing the flashing beckon showing Momoka's action.

"Hrm?" Fuyuki returned with the ice pack, and stopped; the change in the atmosphere was obvious as he stepped in, and both the girls were now talking to themselves, and of all things, even being pleasant to one another.

"You call this alcohol?!" Rokiki threw the bottle against the wall and stumbled out of the Ramen stand.

"Stop him!" cried the vendor. "He's gone through all of our stock, and he's scaring away customers!"

Giroro and Romama went to hold back Rokiki, each grabbing one of his arms, but he broke out of their hold, and staggered in front of them, looking lazily at both.

"I don't understand it… Even you can get a job here, I get turned down by… By everyone!" Rokiki muttered, pointing at Romama. "Or did you cheat your way to that, too?!"

Romama started for the red Keronian, but Giroro held him back.

"Rokiki-kun, this isn't you…" Mora broke through to him, floating in front of the tottering ex-captain. "Come back, we'll get you some hot tea and forget about all of this…"

"How do you keep a job as a matchmaker when you can't even get a date…?" Rokiki picked up another bottle and downed it. "You're all failures…. I didn't fight a war to raise lazy… Cheating… Failures!"

Rokiki didn't get another word in before he was blown back against the Ramen stand by a large blast of water. Mora hovered over him, and the last thing Rokiki saw before he blacked out was her glare.

The first thing he saw when he woke up was a set of red laser bars. He was laid out on a jail cot, and he could barely stand as he slid off of the bed and adjusted his headdress.

"…And that should be it," Romama passed the last bill to the warden, who nodded and went back to the cell with a set of keys in hand.

"All of my Gunpla money…. To bail out some deviant…" Keroro said grimly as he trudged behind them.

"Gunpla money?" Giroro repeated as he looked at Keroro through the corner of his eye.

"Gero!" Keroro yelped sharply, having been caught.

"Please leave me here… I don't want to have the shame of being bailed out by the matchmaker and ballet teacher…" Rokiki said quietly as the warden unlocked the bars, and they vanished. The warden led him through to the front desk and out of the jail, and Rokiki stopped as soon as they were out.

"Rokiki-kun? Are you all right?" Mora turned to him, and batted him on the shoulder. "…It's all right, you can look somewhere else for a job! You'll find someone, I know it!"

"If Kirere-chan can find a niche, anyone can!" Keroro reassured him. Giroro answered this with a hand pressing into Keroro's windpipe.

"…Well, thank you for the bail…" Rokiki said humbly. "Yet again I get reminded how much the world's changed since I woke up…."

Romama and the others watched as Rokiki slowly walked away from them, looking like an old and beaten dog.

"He doesn't have a place yet, like everyone else seems to have gotten…" Mora explained silently. Romama, after thinking a few moments, walked over to Rokiki, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I think I have an idea…" said the young Major.

"I… I really don't think this is going to work out….I know I gave you another shot, but… P-Please don't come back… To this side of town…" Haruki begged the man in front of him, who continued to laugh all through his firing.

"Ahahahahaha!" was Kogoro's only answer. "GO!" then, within moments, he had on his helmet, and rushed out the front door of the garage. "GO!"

Haruki was left speechless. Kirere was still washing her face off in the tub sink, which was blackened with soot. Haruki, too, had been covered with soot, telltale signs of the explosion that had just occurred.

"I'm just glad Fujuju-san wasn't here for this…" Kirere said to herself as she finished washing off.

"This is going to take all week to clean up… And I don't know how he got this to explode, there wasn't anything that would've blown up!" Haruki scratched the back of his head and looked down at the engine, puzzled. "I give up… I know I said I'd like another pair of hands, but it's not worth all of this trouble! I don't know how to hire aliens!"

The bell rang, signifying visitors, and Haruki came to attention and ducked into the back room. Kirere went to switch on her invisibility, but stopped as she saw who it was. Romama, still in ballet gear, Keroro and Giroro, Mora, and Rokiki.

"…Did I do something really bad?" she asked, hopping off of the stool Haruki had set up for her.

"…I… I need a job…" Rokiki said to the young girl, the sound of his pride choking to death as he stood in front of her.

"Are they gone?!" Haruki called out.

"It's okay! Actually, this is great!" Kirere turned to the door, and Haruki walked out, and looked down at the Keronians.

"He's looking for a job!" Kirere exclaimed, and Haruki went back into the back room. They heard some rustling from there, and Keroro walked over and looked in. Haruki was leaned against a wall, holding his head and shaking it, all while mumbling to himself. The Pekoponian then walked out, having regained his composure.

"…Kiddo, he… He tried to kill us all… Not too long ago, actually…" Haruki answered calmly.

"I'm a hard worker," Rokiki continued. "I don't know a lot about these things, but I can learn…"

"Are you any good with paperwork?" Haruki asked.

"I did have a job in offices for a time," Rokiki answered.

"It's my turn to pick a new employee, anyway!" Kirere exclaimed, and Haruki sighed, finding himself defeated.

"He's your responsibility… But you can't work in a skirt… I don't let her and if it's you it's weirder."

"….All right…" Rokiki answered with a nod, having to contemplate this for a moment.

"Hehe, I think I can take care of that!" Mora said with a smile. "I actually made you something, Rokiki-kun…."

"Someone make this nightmare leave…" Rokiki muttered, and Mora drug him to the back.

When she had pulled him back out, it finally struck the rest of them the similarities between Rokiki and another red Keronian.

"What?" both Rokiki and Giroro asked in unison. Rokiki's uniform was gone, the hat having been replaced by a more modern black helmet, much like Keroro and Giroro's.

"…This is only for work, understand…" Rokiki said, his arms folded. It was clear he felt uncomfortable in this new outfit.

Kirere looked up at Haruki with a grateful smile, and he tried to return this, but it was clear he was ill at ease.

The sun was setting, and three schoolchildren walked back from club as it did so.

"We might even double our members if we use these, Chandi-san!" Fuyuki exclaimed, looking at the posters they had made during their time in club. She nodded then stopped in the middle of the sidewalk

"This is my stop," she held up her hand to wave. "You guys can make the rest of the walk back on your own. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Chandi-san!" Fuyuki called back. As he had his back turned to her, Chandi winked and smiled at Momoka. Momoka answered this with her own smile, and continued walking with Fuyuki during the sunset.

"What're you wearing?" Chandi laughed as she walked in and saw Rokiki at the low table. He returned this with a glare, and Mora stuck her head out of the kitchen.

"Dinner will be right up! I'm making Japanese tonight!"

"I can wait for it," Rokiki answered, and Chandi took a seat neat to him.

"You smell like engine oil…" Chandi added as she sniffed the air.

"Well, some of us actually have to go out and work for a living."

There was a small "boom" noise from the kitchen, jolting both, and Mora stuck her head out again, "Actually, let's order pizza tonight…"

"Extra green peppers on mine!" Chandi called out, hurrying for the phone.

"If there's anything close to a vegetable on mine there's going to be hell!" Rokiki exclaimed.

"This really was the best place to stop and settle down in…" Mora said happily to herself as she went to cleaning the kitchen.


	11. Kururu: Kururu's Reversal Pt1

Episode 6:  
Kururu: Kururu's Reversal  
Part 1

Kirere heard the glass door slam open, and already knew it wasn't going to be the best of days. She had been seated by the fire, awaiting her father. Now she attempted to slip out, away from him, into the darkness of the evening, but she was too slow. Neko, who she had been petting, stood up, spooked by the sudden noise.

"What'd he turn you into now?" Kirere ventured to ask; she wasn't sure what Kururu had done to him, but part of it looked like it'd involved fire.

Giroro walked past her, and returned from his tent moments later, with the largest gun in his arsenal, "Kirere… No matter what you hear, don't go to investigate the noise…"

"Eh?! No, don't!" Kirere grabbed onto his arm and dug her feet into the ground as he continued to head back towards the house. "Whatever it was, it's not worth that!"

"Kukuku!" Kururu's dark outline marked the doorframe suddenly, and Giroro pulled out of Kirere's grasp and rushed up to the scientist.

"I've had it with you for the last time!" Giroro snarled.

"Kukuku… Is that so? And I suppose this time you mean it?" Kururu laughed.

"H-Hey, don't fight! We have company over!" Kirere waved her arms frantically.

"I can guarantee no one will miss him," Giroro answered, pointing the gun directly at Kururu and setting up his aim. He then caught the reflection of a worried Kirere in the glass, and slowly set down the gun.

"Kukuku! Dinner's ready if you're interested," Kururu said nonchalantly, and then wandered away from the now shaking with rage Giroro. Kirere threw up her hands and then walked back into the household, following Kururu.

"Is it always like this?" Mora floated from one side of Natsumi to the other as she watched this from the kitchen.

"You mean your place isn't?" Natsumi finished chopping the vegetables and tossed them into the pot. "Those two going at it is a daily thing."

"Yes! Victory is mine, gero gero gero!" Keroro exclaimed.

"Best three out of five!" Chandi chimed in.

"You guys really are into this, huh?" Fuyuki laughed.

"Come on, I'll kick all of your asses this next round!" Tamama added.

"None of you could be quiet if it were a matter of life and death!" Rokiki's voice finally came from the living room, and Natsumi looked out to see what was going on. The four were in front of the TV, playing a racing video game, while Rokiki was on the couch, a binder on his lap. "…It's like between the two of them there's half a brain…" Rokiki muttered as he mulled through Haruki and Kirere's handwriting. "…Is this even in Japanese!?"

"Dinner will be ready in five, okay? So get ready to shut off the game," Natsumi said warningly.

"I'm home!" Aki called out as she opened the front door.

"Mama? You're actually on time!" Natsumi gasped happily, and Aki nodded.

"It was close, but we managed to get everything in on time for once!" Aki answered. "Eh? Oh, these must be some of your new friends you were telling me about! Romama-kun's really helped introduce you to a lot of interesting people!"

Rokiki gave a small laugh at this and then shut the book and threw up his hands, "I give up for now… If I spend any more time on this I'm going to go insane."

"Dinner's finished!" Natsumi declared, "Stupid Frog, you start setting up the table."

"What?! Why me?!" Keroro asked in a yelp of surprise. Aki bent down and smiled sweetly at the frog.

"You're such a big help, Kero-chan… I know you won't mind helping Natsumi out a little."

"N-No, of course not, Mama-dono!" Keroro answered, hopping up and tossing aside his controller.

Rokiki was slack-jawed as he watched this, 'What a brilliant yet simple exercise of power!' he thought, 'How did she accomplish such respect? I wasn't able to get subordination with that efficiency!'

"I think I might've seen you here once before," Aki turned to Rokiki now. "I'm Fuyuki and Natsumi's mother."

"Rokiki Tai," Rokiki answered, rising and delivering a salute to Aki. The others in the room were taken aback by this unusually polite gesture. 'This aura she has… It's unbelievable!'

"What a kiss ass…." Kururu muttered to himself.

"I'm going up for dinner!" Mois chimed as she walked past Kururu, who was seated in his chair watching the events and goings on upstairs. He didn't acknowledge the Angol, nor did he acknowledge Kirere's presence as she walked in and fixed herself a plate, and took a seat at the foot of his chair.

"You could actually be up there instead of watching it, you know… They might like that!" Kirere looked up at him, but Kururu only gave a grunt. "You might have a good time too, if you tried!"

"I doubt that," he muttered, and took a bite of his curry. He pressed a few buttons now, and on came the microphones.

Natsumi and Fuyuki were recounting a story from school, then Keroro followed it up with talk about Gunpla, then he and Tamama led into a conversation about a show they had watched.

"I remember why I keep the microphones off now, kuku!" Kururu laughed and shut the sound off again, then hopped off of his chair to get another plateful of curry.

"He never changes," Kirere said with a sigh and a shake of the head. "…He'd probably be a lot happier if he tried, even just once… Eh?" she looked over as something caught her eye… A glass cabinet full of the ray guns Kururu had invented for the platoon over the years.

"…No… I couldn't… But it would be nice to have parents who got along… But… I couldn't! I'd get in so much trouble…" she shook her head to get the idea out of her head, but there again were the ray guns. She set down her plate of curry silently enough to where she wouldn't be heard, and crept over to the case.

"Eh?" looked up as he shut the top of the rice cooker, and became a little outwardly annoyed at the sight in front of him. "Kuku, so that's something you get from him, too? That's not some sort of toy, you know…"

"I'm sorry, it's for your own good!" Kirere cried out, and this was followed by a howl as she fired.

"Huh?" Natsumi raised her head from the comfort of her warm bed and sniffed the air. "…Who's cooking this early?" she wondered aloud, and shoved on her slippers to investigate. She glanced into Fuyuki's room; he'd passed out in front of his computer researching occult sites yet again…

She met with Keroro and Mois in the living room, looking equally puzzled.

"It's neither of you two?" Natsumi said quietly.

"Maybe Fujuju-san's stopped by… Could you say, an unexpected visit?" Mois chimed in.

All three stuck their heads around the corner, and gave a gasp in unison.

"K… Kururu!?"

"Could you say, an unexpected twist?!" Mois added, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Kuku! Fresh omelets for everyone!" said the yellow scientist, letting another one slip off of the pan and onto a plate. "Now hurry before they get cold!"

"That…That's my apron! …Why are you even in an apron?" Keroro asked.

"Kuku, I'll wash it later, don't worry…" Kururu handed an omelet up to Natsumi and she looked at it, studying it, then at Kururu.

"All right, I give up… What's this turn us into? Plant monsters?" Natsumi asked blandly.

"No tricks today, kukuku!"

"Stupid Frog, you take a bite of yours," Natsumi instructed.

"Wha… Why do I have to?!"

"Just do it!" Natsumi snapped, and Keroro did so, shaking and tears in his eyes as he brought a bit up to his mouth.

Natsumi and Mois watched Keroro intently as he took a few bites, and he looked upward in thought, then back at the omelet, "Say, that's not bad…"

"You're joking…" Natsumi took a bite of hers, and found Keroro was telling the truth. "Wow, that is pretty good!"

"Could you say a surprise talent?" Mois said as she now dug into hers. "It's fantastic!"

When Fuyuki lumbered down the stairs, scratching his head, he found Natsumi, Mois, Keroro, and Kururu all seated at the table enjoying breakfast, and a spot open for him.

"Nee-chan, these are great! You really improved your omelet!" Fuyuki said after he was seated and eating his.

"I didn't make them, Kururu did! ….I'm waiting for him to tell me what he broke."

"Kuku… It just seemed like the nice thing to do," Kururu answered, taking up his plate and placing it in the sink. At this point all had stopped eating breakfast.

"….Did he just say "nice"?" Natsumi asked.

"I… I think so…" Keroro replied.

Kirere had finished putting on her gloves and was adjusting her headphones in front of her mirror at that same time, and opened one of the drawers in her dressing, pulling out an eleven-year-old girl's contraband—Lipstick and blush. She had pulled off the cap on the lipstick when Kururu entered. Kirere tossed the items back into the drawer and spun around, delivering a nervous grin.

"I… I was just trying to fix a scratch on my dresser!" she exclaimed. "Really, I—WOAH!" she yelped as Kururu lifted her up and placed her on his shoulders. "…That must've really worked!" she whispered.

"Eh?" he glanced up at her, and she shook her head.

"N-Nothing!" she answered. "This is just… You're never up this early, Papa!"

"Kuku! It's too nice a day to sleep away," was his answer, and Kirere grinned at this, and clung onto him as he walked off. "Do you work today, Kire-chan?"

"I don't have to… I mean, there's no real cars to work on, mainly Rokiki-san helping out with paperwork!" Kirere answered quickly.

The sight of Kirere on Kururu's shoulders was enough to send the table reeling again. Fuyuki rubbed his eyes as he watched them walk out, Kirere giggling.

"…Did I really wake up? Or did I wander into one of those alternative dimensions?!" he asked, perking up. "That'd be great!"

"What's so great about it?!" Natsumi snapped. "He's creepier this way than he ever was when he was regular creepy Kururu!"

"Maybe he's found a sudden love for life," Keroro said. "...Maybe he took a strong blow to the head…"

"I don't trust this," Natsumi said, shaking her head. "Not at all."

"Nee-chan? Where are you going?" Fuyuki asked as Natsumi rushed upstairs.

"Wherever they are!" Natsumi called out.

"Dad! Wake up, wake up!" Kirere shook Giroro excitedly, and he slowly opened his eyes. He bolted up as he saw Kururu was also there, grinning over him.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Kururu.

"…." Giroro was speechless. His bewilderment only grew as he saw Kirere's hand holding Kururu's.

"What the hell game are you trying to pull?!" Giroro snarled, rising and taking Kururu by the neck.

"Let go! It's okay!" Kirere pried away Giroro's hands after a great deal of effort, and Giroro took a few steps back from the two. "We're going to go to the zoo, we want you to come, too!"

"What sort of sick thing do you have planned out, Kururu?!" Giroro demanded.

"Kuku, since when has quality time been against the law?"

"We'll wait for you outside!" Kirere exclaimed, and Giroro was again silent as Kirere hopped out, and Kururu followed her calmly. He looked over his shoulder once to Giroro, which made the corporal's blood freeze, and then was outside of the tent.

"What… What the hell just happened?" he wondered.

"Natsumi-san?" Natsumi gave a jump as she heard her name called out, and turned about. She had been hidden in a bush watching the peculiar-acting Kururu, Kirere, and Giroro in secret.

"Ko.. Koyuki-chan! How long have you been here?!" Natsumi gasped.

"I came with Dororo!" Koyuki answered, moving aside to reveal the ninja, as well as Romama.

"Teicho-dono said there was some sort of emergency!" Dororo answered. "We met up with Romama-dono along the way!"

"This better not be another stupid fake emergency of his…" Romama said plainly.

"Kururu's acting weird," Natsumi answered, and pointed. There was the yellow Keronian, patting his daughter atop the head and laughing with her.

"How sad that that's something to find unusual…" Dororo noted. "But this is quite peculiar! I wonder if he's finally decided to turn over a new leaf for the better!"

"…You don't even sound like you believe that yourself…" Romama muttered.

"Well, I would find it unlikely…"

"They're moving! I've got to follow them!"

"That's no problem, leave it to me, Natsumi-san!" Koyuki exclaimed, taking the unsuspecting redhead in her arms and leaping upward into the sky, all while out of the sight of the "family" in front of Giroro's tent.

"We should go see what Teicho-dono wants to do about this while they follow them," Dororo said, and Romama nodded and followed him.

"This just isn't normal!" Keroro exclaimed. Tamama had also arrived to the emergency meeting, and was sipping on a juice box as he listened to his superior. "What could have possibly gotten into him?! It's not even the holiday season, so it can't be the holiday spirit!"

"Maybe it's another spirit!" Tamama suggested.

Out from the white wall popped out the Hinata House's family ghost at that moment. All found nothing peculiar about this except for Romama, who was stunned with fear, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear you… It's not a possession, I looked into that already when I saw he was acting so strangely!"

"Ah, thank you for your research, Ghost-chan!" Keroro said gratefully to the spirit.

"Oh, it's no problem! Anytime!" she answered, and sunk back into the wall.

"Like I was saying—Ojiisama, why are you beneath the table like that?"

"I… I lost my wallet!" Romama answered, his voice still shaking.

"Ah! Well, perhaps Fuyuki-dono has some answers!" Keroro said, snapping his fingers.

"Teicho-dono! Tamama-dono and I can search his lab for clues while you ask him, if you wish!" Dororo said, rising from his chair.

"Ah, I have it! Dororo, you and Tamama check the lab for clues while Ojiisama, Mois-dono and I convene with Fuyuki-dono!"

"But… I…"

"Let's get a move on, team!" Keroro exclaimed, and all went their respective ways, leaving Dororo confused as to why he'd been overlooked yet again.

"Wow, look at how big that one is!" Kirere exclaimed as she rushed over to the elephant cage. All three had been there for a short time, but Giroro's paranoia was already getting the best of him. Each dangerous-looking creature they passed he saw as a threat, or another way for Kururu to rush him to his demise.

"Looking at them reminds me of that story where they kept poisoning them in the zoo…" Kirere said wistfully.

"There is something to be said about strength like that, kukuku!"

"Dad, come here!" she waved Giroro over towards the bars…. They were narrow enough for Kururu to toss him through, and no one would notice him in there with his cloaking device on…

"I really… I can see it just fine from here…" Giroro answered, keeping a few meters distance between the cage and himself.

"Yeah, they are pretty big… Oh, the reptile house!" she exclaimed, eyeing the small shack. As far as Giroro was concerned, it was a shack of death.

"Aren't you coming?" Kururu turned around to Giroro, and the corporal jumped out of his skin practically.

"I'll… Be right there…" Giroro answered, trudging towards the dark hut, full of poisonous Pekoponian creatures. "Who in their right mind finds this fun?"

"Oh, the reptile house!" Koyuki said in the same cheeriness Kirere had. "Natsumi-san, let's go look!"

"M-Maybe later, Koyuki-chan…" Natsumi answered, hesitating as Koyuki tried to pull her along. A familiar ringtone then sounded, and Natsumi quickly picked up her phone, "Fuyuki! Have you figured out what he's up to yet?!"

"No, not yet, Nee-chan. I have Gunso, Mois-chan, and Romama here trying to help me figure out what kind of occult phenomena this is exactly, but we can't seem to find anything on it!"

"It might not even be occult! I mean, is there anything strong enough to make someone like Kururu change overnight for the better? Ugh… Well, let me know if you find out anything…"

"Right," Fuyuki hung up the phone, and swiveled in his chair over to Mois, Keroro, and Romama. "She's going to keep watching, I'm going to keep researching here, Gunso. I'll let you know if my research turns up anything."

"Ojiisama, maybe we should see how they're doing down at the base. Could you say, regroup and compare notes?"

"Excellent idea, Mois-dono!" Keroro nodded in agreement, and they walked back out, Romama following behind.

"He's not the only one who's acting strange… What's got you so focused?" asked Romama asked his nephew, and Keroro replied as they continued on to the base.

"Because… This could be a matter of life or death… Kururu Soucho acting so strange… It's like the universe has become out of sync suddenly…" Keroro answered gravely.

Keroro's shadowed look left Romama speechless, and the major nodded, now seeing the seriousness of the matter himself.

The mental exhaustion was wearing on Giroro now, and he trudged along behind Kirere and Kururu. The scientist was still letting the little girl hold onto his hand as he had before, and Giroro couldn't make out what they were saying, but they exchanged a laugh. He even caught a "kikiki!" from Kirere.

"Wow, Dad?.. Are you okay?" Kirere asked, stopping any turning around. "You look like you need a drink!"

"I've got it," Kururu held up a few yen coins, and began to shuffle over to the vending machines. Giroro took Kirere and spun her around.

"Please tell me you're seeing what's wrong here, too," he begged, and Kirere giggled.

"Yeah, he's nicer! It's great, huh?"

"It's… Not Kururu… I think something might be seriously wrong with him… He might need medical attention."

"It's not so bad, Daddy… Maybe he just decided he'd had enough being lonely. Just try to have fun—It's nice seeing you two get along for once! I like it!"

This last statement jarred Giroro, and he remained standing there as Kirere hopped over to Kururu, who had returned with drinks.

"Hey! My favorite!" she cheered happily as she took the can. Giroro walked over to the two and hesitantly took his as well.

"This is just weird… He never pays with his own money…" Natsumi muttered to who she thought was Koyuki. She gave a yell of surprise as she looked to her left and saw Koyuki had been replaced by Haruki, still in his work uniform. "What… How did you…?"

"I got this really weird call from your brother saying Kirere was in trouble and I needed to rush down here," Haruki answered.

"Fuyuki…" Natsumi grit her teeth. "We've got it all under control, thans!"

"Natsumi-san!" Koyuki waved with her free hand, the other holding some canned drinks. "You have to keep your energy up during a stakeout!"

"Um... Thank you, Koyuki-chan," Natsumi said, puzzled as she took the drink. "Eh? Rokiki? You, too?" Natsumi looked down and noticed the red Keronian was as Haruki's side.

"Actually, he's here because he's still going through the paperwork I wanted him to…" Haruki answered, scratching the back of his head. "See, Kirere and I got bored one day and decided to start writing the orders in our own language, so I'm having to translate for him…"

"And I'm not leaving until my job's done… Although I'm starting to think prison would've been nicer," Rokiki answered. "What's a… Flipflop?"

"Oh! It's a shoe!" Koyuki exclaimed.

"That's our word invoice," Haruki replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Really, you're close to thirty and you're doing something that childish?" Rokiki said critically of Haruki.

"Actually I'm thirty-four," Haruki replied. Rokiki only answered this with another sigh.

"Come on, if we keep getting distracted we—Wait, where are they?!" Natsumi gasped as she turned around. "We lost visual!"


	12. Kururu: Kururu's Reversal Pt2

Episode 6:  
Kururu: Kururu's Reversal  
Part 2

They made it out of the aquarium with Kirere only managing to trip once, and they were back out in the daylight of the zoo. As they went left, they didn't see the party of three Pekoponians and a lone Keronian looking for them across the way, and the team whose job it was to spy on the happy family didn't see them, either.

"Eh?" Kururu pointed over his shoulder to the photo booth ahead of them, and Kirere looked up at Giroro, awaiting his answer to this.

"Well, it'd probably be nice to have a souvenir, I suppose," Giroro answered with a shrug, and yet again he was pulled by Kirere, now into the photo booth.

"…These never come out right for me… I always look awful in them," Giroro said with mutter as he pulled out the pictures after they had finished.

"They look great!" Kirere reassured him as they looked over the photo strips.

"Kukuku… Not bad," was Kururu's verdict.

"Well, what area haven't we gone to yet?" Giroro eyed the map near the photo booth and studied it.

"Looks like the penguins, and a couple of others around them," Kirere answered. "And they're right up that way! Come on, let's go!"

"Kuku, they're not going to escape, there's no need to run…"

"It looks like the same creepy lab as always!" Tamama said with a tone of disappoint in his voice.

"I didn't find anything in Kirere-chan's room, nor any of Kururu-dono's usual hang out spots… It seems as though this is just a peculiar occurrence."

"Gunso-san! Did Fuuchi manage to get anything?"

"No, not a bit of information," Keroro said, vexed by this as he joined his comrades.

"But he's still looking," Romama added. "We figured we'd be of more help to you down here."

"Could you say, the more hands the better?"

"We'll split up in different areas," said Romama. "See if this is all some setup up for something we should be worried about…"

And with that, the team split up, while Fuyuki was still upstairs, now on the phone with that who he considered to be an ultimate authority.

"Kuru-chan cooked breakfast? I wish I could've been there to see that! It's a shame, just when it looked like we were all caught up, so much has to be changed last minute!" Aki said, pleasant while still sounding tired.

"He's been acting nice like that all day, Mama… I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but when it's someone like him…"

"Hehe… Well, maybe he's in love, it can change a person…. It doesn't seem like Kuru-chan's style, though… Hrmmm… Well, he could just be playing a prank on you right now."

"Huh?"

"Think about it, Fuyuki. Everyone knows Kuru-chan's personality, and how it never changes. But he likes to play little pranks, right? Well, this might be another one!"

Fuyuki was silent at the other end.

"Oh! Fuyuki, I'm got to go, I have an artist on the other line. If I don't see you tonight I'll be home in the morning!"

"A-All right, Mama. Thanks…" Fuyuki then hung up the phone and sat there, stunned.

"Do you think I could have one as a pet?" Kirere asked as she leaned in to look at the penguins.

"You know Aki Hinata doesn't like anything of that kind… Plus it's natural environment is too cold for us," Giroro reminded her, and Kirere was a bit crestfallen, but this vanished as she saw one penguin waddling about, a large egg at its feet.

"Aw, it's Mama's going to make it a nest!"

"Kuku! Actually that's the father. They watch after the eggs until they hatch."

"Is that so?" even Giroro seemed impressed by this fact.

"Wow, so that penguin baby's just like me, then!"

"...Well, you're not incorrect, if you want to be technical…" Giroro said with a bit of thought in his voice. "Hrm?" he turned around quickly, having been distracted by some noise.

"What is it?" asked Kururu.

"Natsumi… I thought I heard her just now and—Where's Kirere?" Giroro blinked; wherever the pink Keronian had been before, she wasn't now. "Kirere!? Kirere, where are you?!"

The photos that they had taken Kirere had been holding onto, and a small gust of wind had sent one strip flying into the air. She had gone chasing after it, and not paying attention to the bicycling cop, quickly speeding towards her.

She grabbed onto the photo strip, and the next thing the little girl knew, she was flying. When she landed, it was with both of her parents on top of her. The bicycling cop continued by, having not hit anything, and oblivious to the small drama that had unfolded before them.

"Ow… I landed on mulch," Kirere groaned, and Giroro helped her up out of the small planted area.

"This is why I told you to always look both ways before you cross the street!" Giroro said firmly to her.

"Sorry…" she said quietly, and Giroro turned to Kururu.

"How're you doing?"

"Kuku, I've been better…" he answered, and hobbled off with them as they continued, holding onto his aching back.

"It looks like it's getting late," Giroro said as he noted the sun now beginning to set. "We should get back."

"This soon?" Kirere looked up at Giroro, a bit sad.

"They're getting ready to close up, we can't stay unless we want to bunk with the tigers, kukuku!"

"Where'd you get that bag?" Giroro only now noticed the green plastic bag hanging from one of his arms.

"Magic," he answered, followed by another laugh. Both glanced at the young girl and also noticed at this point she was growing tired quickly, and Giroro lifted her up.

"We'll take the bus home," he announced, and away they walked out of the park gates.

"I can't believe we couldn't find them again!" Natsumi sighed as they walked out of the park, Haruki trudging along.

"What the—Why's it start in a different alphabet?" Rokiki stopped in his tracks just outside the park and noted where the Japanese had stopped, and something totally alien to him had begun.

"Oh," Haruki looked over Rokiki's shoulder at this with a nod. "It started raining that day, so we got bored and made our own alphabet!"

"To go along with your own, made-up language," Rokiki concluded.

"It only makes sense. You can only preserve a language if there's a written system!" Haruki answered nonchalantly.

"Boy, you really are a smart guy stuck in an idiot, aren't you?" Natsumi snorted. "We'll have to get back to Fuyuki… He's still upset I let them get away like that!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help either, Natsumi-san…. But we did have a good time. Maybe they did, too!" Koyuki said happily, and Natsumi sighed.

"Let's hope, Koyuki-chan."

"You start writing in a coherent language I can understand or you'll have these books down your throat, Suzuyama!"

"Wha—OW! What'd you hit me with that for!?" Haruki yelped and rubbed the back of his knees, the exact area Rokiki had hit him with the black binder.

"Because someone had to!" Rokiki snapped.

Kirere had fallen asleep in between Giroro and Kururu on the bus, which wasn't very busy, given people had already arrived home from work and it was a weekday. There were a few other passengers, but no one within an earshot of the Keronians.

"I'm not used to talking to you like a person, so this is a stretch for me, understand," Giroro started, and Kururu turned his head. Giroro continued looking straight ahead. "I'm sure something happened to you where you're acting like this, I just don't know what. But… If this is some kind of trick you're pulling, Kururu, don't break her heart over it."

"Kuku… I have no idea what you're talking about…."

"This is the first time I've seen where you've appreciated her," Giroro answered. "I don't like you. Don't make her not like you either. She didn't ask you to make her, and I don't think you knew what you were in for when you did, but the least you could do is appreciate her a little more."

"Is that all?"

Giroro now looked over to Kururu from the corner of his eye, "She'll probably be the only one you have, so she gets to decide what happens to you when you're old and can't do for yourself."

Kururu looked up a bit, and made a noise, signifying this was the first time he had thought about something like this.

The rest of the bus side was made in silence, and Giroro again lifted up Kirere and Kururu took up his bag as they climbed off of the bus and walked into the house. Haruki was on the couch, looking exhausted, with Rokiki on one of his knees, interrogating the mechanic over his finances. Natsumi was next to them, passed out from the day of walking and spying around the zoo.

The Keroro platoon was in the living room, working on various projects of their own. Dororo and Koyuki were up talismans in the windows.

"Lupapa-dono informed me that this was done on ancient Keron, to help the sick," Dororo explained.

"You still talk to Lupapa?" Rokiki stopped yelling at Haruki long enough to turn and ask Dororo this.

"We need to find you a girlfriend, it's not healthy to obsess about old ones…" Haruki muttered.

"You need to get better penmanship!" Rokiki shot back.

Tamama holding up something that looked like a metal detector as he walked about.

"Fujuju-san said radon testing would be a good idea, especially since we've done so much building underground, and that it'd explain that weirdo's being such a weirdo!" Tamama explained. He wasn't the only one who was busy; Chandi and Fuyuki were over in another corner, both looking intently at a crystal Chandi was holding.

"This really lets us know if there are demons, Chandi-san?" Fuyuki said quietly, and Chandi nodded affirming.

"I got it in Nepal, the man swore up and down that if there are any demons, this thing will find them for sure!" she answered in a whisper. Both remained totally fixated upon it, until Keroro gave a yell of surprise.

"Ku… Kururu Soucho! You're back!" Keroro exclaimed. "How… How are you feeling?!"

"Kuku… Not bad, I suppose… It was a nice day out, after all," Kirere had only just opened her eyes for this, and was now only pretending to sleep as she listened in to the group. They all sounded worried about Kururu's condition, she noted unhappily.

"Are you sure your stomach isn't bothering you?" Tamama asked, reading over a list of symptoms he had written down when he had spoken to Fujuju earlier.

"Are you sure you're feeling all right, Kururu-dono?" Dororo asked as he wandered over to the entrance of the base with Giroro and Kirere.

"Yes…. Why?"

"No reason!" the group answered, and Kururu laughed.

"I think they're sick, kuku!" he said confidentially to the corporal. Giroro looked back at the puzzled group and indicated with his facial expression that he was just as in the dark as they were.

"…." all had fallen silent, and at the same time started talking to one another. Fuyuki finally broke up the silence, and suggested. "…Let's just see how he feels after some sleep…"

"Ojiisama… I'm staying at your home tonight. I don't feel safe here," said Keroro to the surprised major.

"What?! Why me?!" Romama yelped.

"I don't want to be asleep and know Kururu Soucho's still in a pleasant mood…" Keroro said numbly.

"Romama," Rokiki called out to the teal Keronian, and Romama turned at the sound of his name, "I'm sorry for thinking you were possibly the weakest soldier there was to ever come from Keron. I couldn't conceive how bad things would get."

"I'm telling you, a girlfriend will help with those personality problems," Haruki mumbled.

"And I'm telling you you need to work on your math!" Rokiki barked back. "Why do all of these numbers start turning into symbols?"

"Slow work day," Haruki replied. Rokiki hit the mechanic across the top of the head with the binder. "OUCH!"

Giroro pulled back the covers on Kirere's bed and set the little girl down in it, and pulled the covers back over her.

"She'll sleep well tonight," he stood up then spoke to Kururu, his voice quiet in the room. "Hopefully you'll feel like yourself in the morning, as much as I hate to think that… It'll stop everyone from worrying, at least."

Giroro left with saying this, and Kirere was wide awake now, her back to both of them and facing the wall. She turned around as heard Kururu begin to shuffle out after Giroro, and sat up in her bed, "Papa?"

"Eh? What is it, Kire-chan?" he asked, and she stood, walked over and shut the door.

"Do you think you could call me Kire-chan more?"

"Kuku, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I… Today's been one of the best days ever!" she exclaimed. "I know you're not… The best person for that type of stuff, but… Do you think we could do it a little more often?"

"I don't see why not… Eh? Oh. I forgot about this," he held up the bag and handed it over to her.

Kirere pulled out what had been wrapped in there, laughed and smiled. A stuffed penguin.

"Hrm? Not something you like?" he asked, tilting his head a bit and noting her smile had left, and she looked a bit sad now as she held it.

"No, it's okay," she wiped her eyes and smiled again. "I just hope you remember all of this, because it was a lot of fun!"

"Kukuku! You say that like something bad's going to happen and I won't."

"No, it's all okay," she shook her head, and then lunged forward and hugged him. He returned this, but it was too much for him; Kururu had a nice overload. He gave a yell, and eventually fainted from the stress, his glass cracking and him passed out on the floor.

Kirere walked over to her bed, pulled off one of the pillows and an extra blanket on the end, and knelt down next to Kururu. She managed to place the pillow under his head, and tossed the pink blanket over him. After a moment's thought, she took a stuffed animal from her bed and placed it under one of his arms.

"G'night, Papa," she said quietly, and switched out the light in the room.

In the morning, Natsumi walked down again, but not having been awoken by the delicious smell of fresh breakfast. It was more of a series of frustrated mumbles as someone tried to open the freezer door, and she'd gone down to investigate.

Kururu was seated at the table, a large ice pack atop his head, and the scientist himself had his head laid on the wood.

"Kururu… Are you all right?..."

"Kukuku! I woke up on a cold floor, does that answer your question?"

"Good to see you back. I think," Natsumi said with a twitch of a smile as she went to the fridge.

"I'm home!" Keroro announced as he kicked open the front door to enter, and Kururu cringed at the loud noise. "Boy, Ojiisama is not a good sleeper, let me tell you! He—Oh, Kururu Soucho! How are you feeling today? Particularly nice? How's the weather today?"

"Oppressively hot, kuku… And what's with this sudden interest in my well-being? It's annoying."

"Kururu Soucho's back!" Keroro cheered, then stopped himself halfway. "Kururu Soucho's back…"

"Tch," was Kururu's only response to this as Keroro trudged off, his happiness over this already vanished.

Kirere walked out, still adjusting the black bracelet she had resumed wearing. She opened the latch once more to make sure it was still in there; one of the pictures from yesterday's adventure. She then shut it, and walked out into the dining room area.

"Your head still hurting?" she asked Kururu quietly as she saw him slouched over on the table. "…I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"Kuku… More than you know," he answered. "You're grounded from your workshop for a month… Kirere-chan."

He had added this last part as she was about to walk out through the back door. Kirere didn't seem bothered by her punishment; in fact, she was smiling as she walked out and into the backyard.

"Looks like he's back to normal," Giroro said as Kirere walked past him.

"That's okay, I don't think we'd have him any other way! And I don't think I'd want him any other way!" she answered cheerfully, and heard a motorcycle begin revving. "That's Haruki! I've gotta go!"

"Don't let Rokiki be mean to you!"

"Don't worry, I won't!" she called back.

Giroro laughed and continued to polish his weapon, then became aware of a dark presence. Kururu; in his usual one hand at his large grin position, ray gun in another hand, and ice pack on his head.

"I lost a lot of work yesterday, playing nice guy, kuku!"

"Mm, it does feel like the day wasn't quite the same without this," Giroro stood and loaded his own gun. "Although it was a nice change of pace, for Kirere's sake if nothing else."

"Kuku, you're run by your emotions and sentimentality," Kururu said as he took aim at Giroro.

"You're selfish, egotistical, and cold," Giroro answered, taking his own aim of the scientist now.

"Kuku… Well, someone has to fill in a difficult role like that, don't you think? You know you missed me."

"Like I'd miss a toothache!"

"Kuuuuuuukukuku!"

Natsumi was taken aback by the explosion and series of smaller ones that followed for only a moment, "Yeah, looks like everything's back to normal all right… Crap, I should've just gone with nice Kururu now, I'm starting to think!"


	13. Fujuju: Even the Tutor Doesn't Know! Pt1

Episode 7:  
Fujuju: Even the Tutor Doesn't Know!  
Part 1

Maggie poked Oliver, and he swatted her away. She tried to again, and she grunted and swatted her away once more, this time with his hand.

"Knock it off, Maggie!" he snapped, stopping in the street and glaring at his sister.

"What! It's cute!" Maggie giggled. "My favorite part was when the teacher read that note aloud! Really you're no romantic at all, Ollie, hehe! So when are you going to ask her out?"

"I'm not."

"You're not?" she repeated as they turned the corner toward their home, and his face was growing increasingly red as Maggie stared at him in surprise. "It's not anything hard! If you don't know how, I can always give you some tips!"

"I don't want any!"

"What? Not from me?"

"Especially not from you! Or Frannie!" Oliver shouted as he walked into the home, and both he and Maggie stopped at the sight in front of them. They returned a long, surprised stare with the giant, moving purple bear in front of them.

"Relax, it's just me!" Frannie said, waving one of her purple paws. "I'm taking up a job handing out fliers at a record store is all! Isn't it neat?! It has a cooling system and everything!"

Oliver gave a sound of disgust and turned, walking back out of the house. Frannie removed the head of the bear costume, allowing her pigtails to fall, "What's…."

"A girl he likes," Maggie answered.

"Ohhhh," Frannie gave a nod. "Well, best get to work! There's some dinner in the fridge!" she put the bear head back on, and waved Maggie off, and the blonde girl shook her head and followed her sister out, to the one place she knew where Oliver would be.

"Maggie! Wonderful for you to join us!" Fujuju greeted her at the door as she walked in, tossing aside her backpack. "I was meaning to ask you…"

Both turned and saw Oliver now; his face buried in the large red living room couch and turned away from the two.

"It's a girl," Maggie answered.

"Oh, I see. Did they get into a fight of some sort?"

Maggie giggled at this and shook her head, "No, someone he likes!"

"Go away, Maggie," Oliver answered, his head still buried in the couch.

"…Hey! You're a guy, too! Maybe you could give him some advice!" Maggie said, snapping her fingers, and Fujuju nodded, and rushed over to his numerous tall bookshelves.

"Let's see… Well, on the subject of unrequited love, Shakespeare's the best," he said as he began to scale a rolling ladder to reach the top of the shelves, which were tall even for Maggie and Oliver. "Although I couldn't see perhaps a little Marlowe hurting, either! There's never a time when it's not a good time for Marlowe! Or maybe something more modern…"

"What about you?" Maggie asked, taking a few steps closer and taking a seat on the couch next to her brother.

"My personal favorite? Dickinson, but I don't see—"

"No, I mean, how'd you handle it when you liked someone last?" Maggie asked. This had a surprising reaction from Fujuju; he slipped off of the ladder, catching himself only at the last moment. Oliver looked up from the couch, and wiped his face a bit.

"I-I've got it! Kidd will do the trick!" Fujuju said, his voice now raised a bit and tense.

"What, you haven't had someone like you in a while?" Maggie asked, tilting her head a bit.

"Have you ever liked someone?" Oliver ventured to ask, and Fujuju began to climb down the ladder uneasily.

"I like you two. I like your sister, I like the authors I become close with through reading, I like my comrades in Japan, I like—"

"Like… Like a whole lot. Like a girl?"

"Or the alternative, we won't judge," Oliver added quickly, and Maggie smacked him on the back of the head for this. "OW! What?! It's not like that's something bad, Maggie!"

"You never have, have you?" Maggie asked with a laugh, kneeling down in front of Fujuju. "Have you ever even been out with a girl?" Fujuju flinched at this, and Maggie laughed. "That's so cute, you haven't!"

"I don't see what's so important about it," Fujuju muttered, walking back to the shelves and making himself appear busy with the books, attempting to hide his red face.

"That's a 'no'," Oliver snorted, and rested his cheek on his palm. Maggie returned this with a glare, and she slid over closer on the floor to Fujuju. He felt her presence and turned about slowly.

"So what's the real answer?"

"It's not something I've ever been interested in," Fujuju admitted. "And I've fared just fine without it! I have you two, that's all I need. Plus if I went off with someone that'd mean there wouldn't be as much time for other things."

"Well, if it'd make you happier… We wouldn't care!" Maggie answered, and Fujuju looked up at her, surprised. "We won't talk about it anymore. So, what's for dinner?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Fujuju returned to his cheery self suddenly, and rushed up to the second floor, where his kitchen laid. "I'm working on soufflé for tonight!"

Maggie looked to Oliver, Oliver looked to Maggie, and both looked worriedly at one another.

Fujuju continued to flip through the pages of the large leather-bound book and then shut it, and looked at his notes. They were a mess, consisting mainly of half-thoughts and scratched out words. He shut these as well, and hung up his scarf on the side of the couch, then lied down across it.

There was a book laid on the coffee table as well. Fujuju picked it up and read the spine of the book. Poetry of the Romantic Era in Britain: A Critical Study. He laid the book back down on the table and grumbled to himself.

"Eh? Oh! That's great! Okay, okay… I'll see you then!" Tamama hung up his phone and turned to Keroro. It had been mainly a day of Keroro building Gunpla, Kururu at the computer, Mois and Kirere looking over a tall stack of magazines, and Giroro looking unpleased at all of these goings on.

"Gunso-san! Fujuju-san's going to visit!" Tamama exclaimed, and Keroro didn't look up from his model, fixated on cutting out a piece just right.

"Wonderful, Nitohei… When is he coming?" Keroro mumbled.

"About ten seconds," Tamama answered, and at this point everyone looked up in surprise, and no sooner had this happened there was a crashing noise and Natsumi gave a yell of surprise. "Nope, he's here!"

"We'll fix that, really," Maggie's voice could be heard from the living room, and Natsumi opened Keroro's door; her hair was a mess from having the brooms zoom past her, and she still looked a bit dazed.

"Stupid Frog… Your friends are here…" she mumbled, then walked out again, leaning on the wall for support. "The room's spinning…"

"Fujuju-san!" Tamama rushed out, and stopped; he immediately noticed something off about the chartreuse Keronian; while Maggie and Oliver looked cheery as usual, Fujuju looked offward, and distant from the entire situation. It was only when Tamama leaned in for a closer look at him Fujuju came to a start.

"Oh! Hello, Tama-chan! These are for you!" he held up a bright round tin, and Tamama immediately lit up. This quickly vanished as Fujuju returned to his melancholy stare off into nowhere in particular.

"Eh? What's wrong with Fujuju-san?" Keroro now walked out with Mois, Kirere, and Giroro. Oliver leaned down and whispered it to Keroro.

"I see… I see… Well that's not such a big deal, it—Wait?! Really?! Never?!" Keroro exclaimed, and lifted up one of the flaps of Giroro's helmet to whisper it to the red Keronian.

"What?" Giroro blinked a few times, disbelieving, and Keroro nodded. "That's hard to fathom…"

"What? What is it?" Kirere asked, hopping up and down, begging for Giroro to tell her. He did with a sigh, and Kirere gasped at hearing this, "Fujuju-san's never been anywhere late?!"

"No," Giroro sighed, and whispered to the little girl again.

"He's never been with anyone on a date?! Awww!" Mois joined in this "awww" and Fujuju only placed a hand over his face; he looked as though he had a headache coming on. "That's so cute, Fujuju-san!"

"Could you say, an inexperienced scholar?" Mois quipped.

"Oh, it's no big deal, leave him alone!" Natsumi was adjusting her pigtails and stood in the kitchen, and Fujuju looked up at the redhead, hopeful. "It's not like I see any of you stupid frogs do any better!"

'Not for lack of trying, Natsumi,' Giroro thought to himself sadly.

"So what if he hasn't dated anyone? That's his own choice to make!" Natsumi continued.

"Exactly!" Fujuju exclaimed. During this, Tamama opened up the tin and bit into one of the cookies Fujuju had made, spitting it out moments later.

"It tastes like a salt lick!" Fujuju's eyes went wide at this, and he held a hand to his mouth.

"Oh dear, I must've mistaken the sugar for the salt! But… I've never done that before… That's odd. I'm sorry, Tama-chan… I'll remake those in a bit…" Fujuju scratched his head and walked away from the entire group, still puzzled.

"…It's affecting his cooking. This is serious," Tamama said, his voice dropped and stern. Keroro, Kirere, and Giroro all jumped as he crumbled the cookie in his hand, and turned to them. "We have to do something about this!"

"Right!" the others nodded automatically, too afraid by Tamama's serious looks to question him.

"Eh? Oh, now you want some advice!" Mora smiled widely as the group, consisting of the platoon minus Kururu, Fujuju, and Maggie and Oliver (who were wearing fake antennae to hide their true Pekoponian nature) walked into the new shop. It was a darker-lit place, with a beaded curtain leading to the back room.

"Actually, this is for our friend, Fujuju-san!" Tamama pulled the Keronian scientist to the front, and he looked away from the curious Mora. "He's fallen into a little bit of a rut… He can't even cook right anymore!"

"Ohhh you look like a nice young man! Come on, we'll get you started! I'll even give you a discount since you're friends of my friends here!"

"Ah, excellent. This ought to solve the problem then!" Keroro nodded.

"Why are we helping him anyway, Keroro?" Giroro asked, glancing to the sergeant.

"Gero gero gero… A happy Fujuju-san makes for a grateful Fujuju-san," Keroro answered with a grin. "And a grateful Fujuju-san would gladly help us in any endeavor, it's his nature, after all, gero gero gero!"

"Keroro-kun?" Keroro heard his name called out in a familiar tone, and he whipped his head over to the origin of it.

"Take a seat, it's all right!" Mora floated over to a seat and pulled it over for Fujuju, and she took a seat at a white computer. "It's just a few little questions, nothing awful! Now, why don't you tell me about yourself? What do you like?"

"Well… I'm a scholar by nature… I love chemistry, literature, fireworks, classical music, cooking… Anything relating to science, really… Oh, and I enjoy watching cricket!"

"Cricket," she nodded as she typed away on the computer. "What don't you like?"

"Pushy people…" Fujuju answered, frowning a bit.

"Bad experience?"

"A… Former employer of mine," Fujuju answered.

Mora nodded, and continued typing, "…How important are looks to you?"

"Oh, not very! I'm more interested in the mind of an individual!" he answered with a grin.

"I think we have the match for you, then!"

"Really?" Fujuju sat up straight in his seat, and Mora turned around the screen for him to see. Fujuju gave a yell at the sight of the picture of the monkfish-looking alien, and the chair fell back.

"Are you all right?!" Mora gasped and floated up, and Fujuju stood up, and shakily adjusted the seat.

"Yes… It's just… I've never seen a woman with such unique looks before…."

"Woman?" Mora blinked a few times, and returned to her seat. "Well, that changes a few things… I need to adjust a few questions, pardon me… Oh, looks like we skipped over a question! It's about criminal activity…"

"Criminal?" Fujuju repeated.

"It's just routine, for safety. You should be fine as long as you've never done anything awful like killed a person or burnt down a city!"

Fujuju returned this with a polite, nervous smile, and silence.

Mora floated back out, slowly, staring at the floor, "Please don't come back…" she said in a hushed tone.

Fujuju frowned and flinched as Mora disappeared behind the curtains once more, her mind still reeling from the dark things Fujuju had disclosed to her.

"….How did it go?" Oliver asked, Maggie standing at his side. Fujuju returned this with a glare, and stormed away from the group. Maggie hit her brother on the shoulder, and Oliver yelped and rubbed it.

"That hurt!"

"Good!" she shot back, and hurried toward Fujuju. "Fujuju! Wait up!"

"Fujuju-san?" Keroro could see the fellow alien walking down the street, his face red with embarrassment and his fists clenched.

"Woah. He looks different…" Tamama muttered, and automatically stepped out of Fujuju's way as he passed them.

"Hurry! I don't want to make bail for him, too!" Keroro exclaimed, and now they were rushing after Fujuju, too.

Fujuju had managed to escape them, however. He'd taken a seat behind a fountain, and sat with a paper bag, breathing in and out steadily.

"Dear me…This is awful… I can see why I stayed away from these sorts of things so long!" Fujuju muttered to himself.

"Fujuju-san?" he looked up from his bag and blinked; there was a puzzled Kirere, and holding onto her hand chief medic Pururu. "What… What are you doing?"

"Oh… Oh, pardon me!" he bolted up and hid the bag behind his back just as quickly. "I was just… Catching some fresh air! What might you be doing here, Pururu-san?"

"I came down for a few days to get some time off and maybe shop a little bit… I ran into Keroro-kun and his friends and figured I could take Kirere-chan as a shopping buddy for a while! Make a girl's day out of it."

"Fujuju-san…. I thought you were at Mora's trying to get a girlfriend," Kirere added, tilting her head in confusion.

"Eh?" Pururu looked over to Kirere and blinked. "Really? I always thought Fujuju-san wasn't into the sort of thing!"

"He's not, but he's never had a date, so everyone's trying to get him one!" Kirere answered. Fujuju was trying to keep his smile but it was clear he was near tears by this point.

"Ah, Pururu-chan apprehended him! Excellent work, Pururu-chan!" Keroro puffed as he stopped at the fountain with the others.

"Is that all true, Fujuju-san?" Pururu bent down a little to meet Fujuju's eyes, and he answered this with a mutter. "Hehe… Well, I'm in town for the entire day, how about we make a date of it tonight?"

"Really?" Fujuju glanced up in shock. "You… You wouldn't mind that?"

"I don't see any problems as going out as friends!" Pururu answered.

"The woman doing the asking… Heh," Giroro shook his head at this sight.

"If it were Natsumi-dono asking you I don't think you'd see any problem," Keroro said to Giroro.

"That… That's besides the point! This isn't about me!"

"Yay! Fujuju-san's cooking is going to be all right! And so will Fujuju-san!" Tamama cheered.

"Do you need me to pick you up, or do you have a ride?" asked Pururu.

"Well…"

"He can borrow my bike!" Kirere said quickly.

"She doesn't even let me borrow that…" Keroro muttered, crossing his arms.

"He'll meet you at eight!" Oliver added, kneeling down to be face-level with Fujuju on one side. Maggie smiled and knelt down on the other side, then picked up the scientist. "We have to get you ready!"

"Thank you, Pururu-chan!" Keroro and the others bowed to her, and she seemed puzzled by this gesture.

"Is… Is he really that bad?" Pururu asked nervously.

"Eh?..." Rokiki stopped his walk down the street as he saw a blue back sticking out of the Ramen stand. He stuck his head in and looked over, and saw Mora there, rocking a sake bottle back and forth. "There you are! You've been missing for hours! Where in the hell have you been?!"

"I met someone today I think could have been a demon in a past life," she answered. "I asked him an innocent enough question, and he had some of the kindest, most trusting green eyes…. But when he started talking it was as though it were about another, more horrible person!"

"What in the hell are you going on about? What the—This is stronger than anything I can drink!" he exclaimed as he sniffed the bottle. "So you had a bad client, it happens. I work with bad employees. Come on, I don't need this! We're already short handed because Kirere took off…"

"She was there," said Mora. "The man they brought, he was one of you…"

Rokiki was silent for a few moments, and took a seat next to her, "His name was Fujuju, wasn't it?"

"How did you know, Rokiki-kun?" she wondered aloud, turning in her seat to him.

"Lucky guess," he answered. "Come on, let's get you home…"

"Remember… She'll want to talk about her a lot, so let her. It's better for you both that way," Haruki started. "And no magic tricks, all right? And be yourself, but just a version of you without any of the bad stuff."

"It's just for fun, although I do appreciate all of the trouble everyone's gone to," Fujuju answered in the base, where Kirere had brought down the person she thought would be best for the job. Keroro, too, had brought someone, and Romama still looked puzzled as to why he was suddenly in his nephew's base. "I don't see what's so serious about all of this…. It seems as though a lot of fuss made over something that's meant to be enjoyable."

"Dating isn't enjoyable," Haruki took Fujuju by the shoulders and spoke to him firmly. "It's traumatic and possibly the hardest thing you'll do as a man. It's like war, but worse."

"Ugh! I didn't bring you here to scare him, Haruki!" Kirere attempted to push away the Pekoponian, but to no avail.

"Fujuju-san!" Keroro waved to the bewildered Keronian. "I figured you could get in a practice! Now remember to treat her like a lady!"

Giroro was furious. Giroro was in a blonde wig and red dress, standing beside Keroro and clutching a purse and pretending it to be Keroro's neck. Fujuju turned green, Haruki started laughing, and Kirere went pale.

"I… I'm certain I'll be fine without that," Fujuju said, looking the corporal over.

"I'm getting overtime for this," Giroro muttered, tripping as he stomped away in the heels.

"I can see your slip!" Haruki said through his laughter. Giroro gave a nondescript growl of a curse, but bent down to adjust it all the same.

"Oh my God," Kirere shook her head and buried it in her gloved hands.

"You are making a big deal of this. As long as he's himself he'll have a good time," Romama walked over to Fujuju and put a hand on his shoulder. "Have a good time. But don't screw it up. You don't want her to be afraid of you."

"He looks so adorable!" Maggie giggled to her brother. "This must be what it's like to send your child off on his first day of school!"

Fujuju looked over to the twins, and Oliver gave him a wide grin and a thumbs up. Fujuju returned the smile and the gesture, and Tamama hurried down into the base.

"Hey, she's here!" he exclaimed. "Fujuju-san! C'mere!"

Fujuju walked over to his friend, and Tamama passed him a small card.

"Reservations are kinda hard to get here, but I pulled a few strings for you!" Tamama explained, placing a hand behind his head and smiling proudly.

"Tama-chan… Thank you for this! I won't forget it!" Fujuju answered excitedly, taking the card and looking over the information. "Well… I best not keep her waiting. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" all waved, and immediately dropped the good cheer as he left.

"He's going out with a girl?" Haruki asked in confusion.

"Poor Pururu-chan," Keroro shook his head. "Her one day off, and she has to run into us…"

"Gunso-san, I have two more reservations at the same restaurant!" Tamama exclaimed, holding up another white card.

"That's terrific thinking, Tamama Nitohei! Now we can watch Fujuju-san from afar, coach him, and get a good meal out of it, too!" Keroro took the card and walked past the black Keronian. "Giroro! Don't take off your heels yet!"

"What?! I just got them off!" Giroro shouted back. "They hurt!"

"Well put them on again!"

"It's okay, it's okay," Kirere said, patting her clearly heartbroken older brother's back.

"So much for a nice candlelit dinner…" Tamama mumbled, and then he gasped just as suddenly as he said this. Maggie, Oliver, and the others all looked down at him, stunned, and he gave a moan. "I… I forgot all about that! The place is full of huge chandeliers! It… It's a playground of flames…"

"Bloody hell," Oliver shook his head and rushed upstairs, "Fujuju, wait!"

Maggie rushed after him, Keroro pulled Giroro along as the corporal returned, still fussing with his slip. Romama, Kirere, and Tamama followed them, and Kirere rushed back and returned for Haruki after a few moments of the mechanic standing by himself, dazed at what had just happened.

"Nice to see you this evening, Fujuju-san," Pururu said politely as she met him in the living room. Fujuju stopped for a moment, taking in and noting that Pururu had dressed up for the evening.

"Yes, you as well," he answered quietly, and walked to the front door, opening it for her and allowing her to pass.

"Hehe, just remember to relax, all right?" Pururu said with a wink and a smile, and Fujuju nodded in return.

"I'll do my best, but no promises," he answered quietly as he climbed onto the bike, then allowed her to climb on.

They took off just as everyone else reached the front.

"Come on! We've got to hurry if we're going to catch up!" Giroro turned back towards the base door, and Natsumi, Fuyuki, and Mois, who had been watching this from the couch, all watched this in silence.

"…I'll make more popcorn," Natsumi said, sighing and rising from the couch.


	14. Fujuju: Even the Tutor Doesn't Know! Pt2

"My goodness, that's a difficult major! It must've taken you quite a while!" Fujuju said as he climbed off of the bike and helped Pururu to dismount it. They had driven back to the alien alleyway again, and had parked out not too close from Mora's shop, which was now shut up for the night.

"Well, it was worth it," she answered with a smile. "And I do so much good helping my platoon and others, too. It's like every day I get paid back for all of the studying I had to do! So… Why did you go into what you did?"

Fujuju gave a smile, and thought for a moment, "I liked science from an early age, I suppose. There was just something wonderful about chemistry… It was a shame when I couldn't work as a chemist anymore…"

"Why was that?"

"Fuju? Well… There were…. Legal things that got in the way, and—Well this looks like our stop here!" he looked down at the card Tamama had given him, and back up at the large white building. "My, it does look… Higher-end."

"Are you going to be all right here?"

"Certainly! I couldn't think of anything that could stop this!" he opened the door for her, allowing her through, and then he got a look at the inside, doing a double-take at the inside. "…I spoke too soon."

"Come on, pick up your heels, Giroro Goucho!" Keroro shouted, waving to the corporal.

"I hate this! Why am I still in this?!" Giroro snapped as he rushed down the street with the others. Kirere was clinging onto Haruki as they ran, and Maggie and Oliver were at the side of the other Keronians. There was deep guilt in Tamama's face as he looked about for the scholar Keronian.

"Poor Fujuju-san!" Tamama said to himself. "I think I see it up ahead!"

"Did you hear something?" Pururu asked, and turned back around toward the restaurant.

"I don't think so…" Fujuju answered in a mutter, and looked back ahead. He still looked frazzled from the few moments he had been inside the restaurant, "…I'm very sorry for this inconvenience…"

"No, it's fine! No one's perfect, and you're just trying to work through a problem is all!" she smiled understandingly. He tugged at the scarf around his neck and Pururu glanced at him. "Fujuju-san, are you hot in that?"

"Not usually… I'm not sure why all of a sudden now though," he admitted, loosening it a bit more. An old photograph flittered out of it, and Fujuju gasped as it took off toward one of the fountains. It was saved, mere inches above the fountain's water, by Pururu, who had rushed over and nearly fallen into the fountain.

"Eh? Who's this?" Pururu wondered aloud as she looked at the photo of the pretty long-haired teenage girl, sitting as though it were a studio portrait. The photo was in black and white, and she was dressed in a 1930's style European dress.

"That's… An old friend of mine," Fujuju answered, taking the photo and shoving it back in the scarf. "Really I need to take better care of that if I want to keep it safe!"

"Was she to you like your Pekoponian friends now?"

"She was a special girl, with a lot of talent. I was the only one who could see it though…" Fujuju answered, shutting his eyes and thinking back.

"Are you all right? I didn't upset you, did I?"

"No. No, not at all," he smiled and shook his head. "I was just thinking back to her, it's been a while, after all! I'm sorry, I keep going on about myself…"

"I don't mind, Fujuju-san. What was her name?"

"It was Eliza," Fujuju answered. "It was a long time ago, understand. A very bright girl, like I said. She taught me most of what I know about literature, and Pekopon's oftentimes confusing ways."

"She sounds like she was really great."

"Oh, most certainly! She gave me a reason to go on for a time!" Fujuju answered. "…I still have her memory, that's what's important."

"…What happened to her, Fujuju-san?"

"I wish I knew," Fujuju answered. "We lost one another about seventy or so years ago, and that's a long time for a Pekoponian… Oh! I'm killing the mood, going on about all of this! I'm so very sorry… Please, allow me to make it up to you! I think I saw a Ramen stand ahead, I know it's not the fanciest, but…"

"It works just fine," Pururu said with a smile, and Fujuju looked relieved as they walked over to the stand.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Maggie asked as he tied the white apron about his waist and looked up at Oliver, who was dressed as a waiter.

"Sure! This way when he shows up we'll be able to watch and make sure he doesn't get too carried away… He's been doing well, but… This is a heck of a lot!"

"I'll say," Maggie looked back out, and Haruki dashed in, also dressed as a waiter.

"We have two number threes, easy on the daikon on one, and one iced coffee!" he called out, and placed the order on a clip alongside a group of others.

"How's the happy family doing on the lookout?" Oliver asked in a whisper.

"Ehhhh best it can be…" Haruki answered, and now poked his head out the door. There was Kirere sitting, looking lost and terrified. Tamama was there, looking about continually for any sign of Fujuju, Romama also keeping an eye out, and then there were the "parents" of the family; a haggard looking red mother with a lop-sided wig and an anxious-looking father.

"Looks like Pururu-chan's still not picking up…" Keroro sighed and hung up the phone once more.

"They could have decided not to show…" Romama suggested as he looked up at the large flame-lit chandelier. "…Who's footing the bill for this, anyway?"

All were silent and looked at each other across the table.

"Order up!" Haruki chimed in happily, and began to lay down plates in front of the group. Kirere looked at the large slice of cake, baffled, and Romama looked instantly ill and Haruki laid out before him a large steak.

"Idiot! What makes you think I would want this?!" shouted the Major, and Haruki flinched.

"Now, now, Ojiisama, no need to lose our temper…" Keroro said, easing Romama back down from where he stood on the wooden chair.

"You didn't order the steak rare?" Haruki scratched the back of his head and looked down at the notepad.

"No! It's the last thing I'd want! The very last thing!" Romama shouted, pushing away the plate and still looking sick as he did so.

"Kiichi, are you going to eat that?" Tamama asked, spoon already in hand.

"It's bigger than my head…" Kirere muttered.

"All right!" Tamama said with a wide grin as she pushed over the chocolate cake to him.

"Jeeze, you don't have to have such a fit, I'll take it back, I'll take it back!" Haruki lifted up the plate from Romama, and at this same time Oliver rushed out, a flaming plate in his hands.

"Hot! Hot! It's hot! How do I put this out?!" he yelped, and crashed right into Haruki. The steak went flying onto another patron's head, and the flaming dish landed on Giroro's. The corporal gave a scream and immediately tossed off the wig onto the table; the fire spread to the tablecloth, and Haruki took a pitcher full of liquid and tossed it at the flames to allow them to die down. The pitcher was full of wine; the flames flew up only higher.

"Come on, let's get you home…" Rokiki placed a few bills down on the counter of the stand and hopped down from his seat, helping Mora to do the same.

"Rokiki-kun, I had too much to drink… I'm seeing him again now," Mora muttered, holding her head and looking up ahead of them.

"…I didn't even have anything and I'm seeing him…" Rokiki added, stopping and watching Fujuju happily converse with the medic beside him.

"So then Keroro-kun, me, and everybody else involved were grounded for a month!" Pururu giggled, and Fujuju joined in the laughter, taking a seat beside her at the stand and not noticing a bewildered Rokiki.

"That sounds like quite a bit of trouble! The children had something similar happen with them involving pure sodium, a case of bottled water, myself, and one unforgettable afternoon!" Fujuju added.

"Did you do things like that with that other girl, too?" Pururu asked, and Fujuju fell silent for a few moments.

"Not quite the same… It was a different time, then. I haven't had to speak of her in years. I believe you're the first person," Fujuju admitted, and grinned. "You know, it feels nice to talk about this with someone! I think I know why exactly everyone was making such a fuss about this dating thing now..."

Pururu gave a giggle at this, and Fujuju looked puzzled, "It's all right, Fujuju-san! I'm not laughing at you; it's just that you seem so old-fashioned! It's something you don't' see a lot nowadays! It's like you're from a different era."

They ordered, then Fujuju became quiet, and Pururu became concerned with this.

"Fujuju-san? Are you all right?" she tapped him on the shoulder, and he nodded.

"Yes, I just… I suppose part of me hopes that this… This…."

"Eh?" in between them floated some debris, falling on the table like dark snow. Fujuju picked it up with a finger and studied it for a moment.

"Ash…" he muttered, and looked ahead. There was an orange glow coming from a corner. "That's from…"

"Fujuju-san, wait!" Pururu yelled out, but Fujuju had already taken off. She went to reach for her phone, and her eyes went wide. "Keroro-kun called… Twenty-three times?!"

Fujuju stopped short of the blaze, his eyes wide now. There were others surrounding the blaze with him, other diners, employees, and various other people from around the area. There were also aliens attempting to quell the blaze that had been the restaurant moments ago.

"…It's beautiful," he muttered, his eyes wide and glowing orange against the blaze. "It's… Gorgeous…" He then turned his head at the sound of a cough, one familiar to him, "…Ollie?"

He rushed over to the boy, who was laid on the ground and covered with dirt and ash from the blaze. Haruki was leaned over him, helping him to breathe, and Giroro was knelt down beside Kirere, who was coughing wildly. Romama was tending to his uncle, who had a wrapped up hand from a slight burn he had suffered.

"Fujuju-san!" Tamama exclaimed at the sight of the Keronian scientist. "We knew you were here!"

"….It's not big enough yet…" Fujuju muttered, turning his attention back to the blaze.

"Where…. Where's Maggie?" Oliver coughed and clung onto Haruki to sit up. "Where's Maggie at?!"

"Gero!" Keroro exclaimed, and looked to Giroro, Kirere, Romama and Tamama.

"She was in the kitchen!" said Tamama with a gasp. "I didn't see her come out!"

"We've got to get back in there! She's still in there!" Oliver yelled, but fell as he tried stand again. Haruki eased the boy back down, and looked worriedly at the blaze.

Fujuju, too, looked at it. It was swirling, beautiful… Asking to engulf more. But something else came over him as he approached the fire, unfazed at the heat or the flames, and disappeared into it.

Rokiki and Mora were still there as well, "I've got to help!" Mora yelled to Rokiki, who nodded as she floated away from his side and went to help with the blaze.

"Keroro-kun!" Pururu called out, and stopped by the group. "What happened?!"

"It was an accident… I shouldn't have dropped that plate!" Oliver yelled out. "I shouldn't have—"

"They'll be fine!" Giroro snapped to him. "You have to believe that!"

"They?" Pururu repeated.

"Fujuju-san is in there, attempting a rescue," Keroro answered, and Pururu gave a horrified gasp, and placed a hand over her mouth. This didn't last for long, however, as she saw more aliens in need and rushed to help them, her face still drawn over with worry.

There was a loud popping noise, signaling the structure bending and breaking. The fire was dying down now, however, from the effort of the aliens who were putting it out. There was still no sign of Maggie or Fujuju when the flames had totally died out.

"Maggie… Fujuju… This is all… I did this all… It's all… It's all my fault…." Oliver cried out, and Haruki placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder. Kirere reached out and grabbed onto Tamama's hand gently; the black Keronian was stunned, silent.

"That idiot ran in there!" Rokiki said to Mora as she floated back to him, looking exhausted. Rokiki started towards the ashes and the blackened framework, while Mora took a seat on the ground.

Then there was a bit of shuffling, and Keroro, Romama, and Giroro ran to it, and began to move away the blackened beams and wood along with Rokiki. Soon a few other stronger aliens joined in, removing rubble until they reached the bottom of it. There was Maggie, a red and yellow scarf wrapped around her mouth and nose, and beside her, laid out and barely conscious, was Fujuju.

"The flames… Were so brilliant…" he muttered, then passed out atop of the young girl.

"Neh…. Eh?" Maggie blinked a few times, allowing her eyes to focus and for them to grow accustomed to the bright lights hanging over her. "Am I alive?"

"Either you are or we all went!" Oliver answered with a grin as he stood over her.

"…Ollie?"

"Hey, she's awake!" Haruki said happily, and turned to the purple Keronian nurse.

"Terrific!" Pururu nodded. "That means only one more to wake up!"

"I'm awake," Fujuju said quietly. "…Please tell me that's not how all dates go."

He was in the sick bay unit of the Keroro Platoon's underground base, laid out in a bed next to Maggie's. The blonde girl rose up from the bed she was in and walked over uneasily, then lifted up Fujuju from his and embraced him.

"You were in there, weren't you? You came for me," she said shakily.

Fujuju smiled, and placed a hand on her arm, "My dear, of course I did. For you and your brother that was the least I could risk."

"Hey, you were in the middle of a bunch of flames and you didn't go trying to burn down more of it!" Oliver exclaimed.

"….I was, wasn't I?" Fujuju said with a bit of thought as he broke out of Maggie's hold. "You need your rest, Maggie. As do I."

"And I need to be getting back soon, I just got a message from my platoon," Pururu answered, setting aside a clip board and looking apologetic to them. "You should both be fine… Fortunately no one was injured too badly, and everyone got out safely."

"I'm very sorry for any trouble…" Fujuju looked down at the bed sheets, and Pururu walked over to him.

"It's all right, Fujuju-san… It was fun, actually! Definitely one of the more interesting dates I've had. You're very sweet."

Fujuju looked up from her to the humans in the room. Oliver and Maggie were giving him fiendish smiles, and Fujuju's face reddened a bit.

"I'll see you out," he slipped out of the bed and followed her out, leaning on the IV pole he was attached to.

They walked down the hall, and Tamama, who was on his way with a large bouquet of flowers, instantly lit up.

"Fujuju-san! You… You're okay!" he said cheerfully. "I knew you would be!"

"Tama-chan!" Fujuju returned with his toothy grin. "I'll be back in a moment… Keep Oliver and Maggie out of trouble for me, would you?"

Tamama nodded this, and he and his bouquet walked out of the hall and into the hospital room.

"So… I'd like to ask you next time you're here if you'd allow me to take you to a better dinner," Fujuju said as they continued to walk towards the base's exit. "I'm just sorry if there's to be any lighting it will have to be electric."

"Fujuju-san, I… I appreciate it, but…."

"Not to worry, I understand. I have a lot to work out yet… And we do have very different schedules. It would be impossible to work," Fujuju nodded knowingly. "Thank you… For at least taking a chance."

"Try anything once, I say!" Pururu answered as they walked out into Keroro's room. "And it's good to think I have such a nice new friend now!"

"As do I. That's a very good philosophy to live by…" Fujuju added as they left the room and stopped in front of the front door. "Perhaps for drinks another time, then."

"Sure thing!" Pururu replied. Neither were aware of the audience behind them. It included the Martin and Hinata siblings, Haruki, and the Keroro platoon.

"Please, allow me to get the door for you…"

"No, it's all right, Fujuju-san! You need your rest."

"It's perfectly fine, I insist," Fujuju went to hit the doorknob, and at the same time, tripped on his IV pole. He went falling moments later, right atop the medic. When he opened his eyes, they were straight across from Keronian woman's, their faces also pressed against one another. Pururu looked stunned, and Fujuju climbed back up, and leaned against the pole.

"I… I'm very sorry about that… I… Oh, dear…"

"I'll be going, Fujuju-san," Pururu said, still flustered, and Fujuju nodded, and watched as she left. He slapped his forehead and gave a small groan, and then turned around to begin the trek back towards the recovery area. He met with the stunned faces of his audience, and gave a yelp.

"It… I was an accident is all! I…. I…. I just…. I… I left my… I… I need to go sit down," Fujuju said, flustered, and he hurried past them all, again tripping on his IV pole along the way.

"Hehehe…" Oliver chuckled as he passed Fujuju in the Hinata kitchen, and Fujuju shut his eyes, and his mouth twitched. "….You're a dog, ya know that?"

"I was weak, and I accidentally tripped. I was on a lot of medication at the time, and I've already written her three apology letters since then, and I wouldn't be surprised if I'd terrified her out of ever speaking to me again. I'm lucky she didn't see fit to smack me," Fujuju answered as he pulled the cookies out of the oven. "Another batch finished!"

"Yum!" Tamama exclaimed, hopping up and taking a few for himself. He took a bite of one and gasped happily. "Fujuju-san's back!"

"I'm glad you think so, too, Tama-chan," Fujuju said. "I think it has something to do with the fact I realized I've been in love all this time and not known it!"

"Really?" Oliver was puzzled by this, and Fujuju pulled out from his apron a small book. Oliver took it up and gave a roll of the eyes. "You can't be serious!"

"Emily Dickinson. I just can't believe I didn't see it before!" Fujuju undid his apron and set it aside, then removed his oven mitts.

"You're unbelievable!" Oliver answered, and threw the book back to Fujuju, who caught it and smiled at the cover with a large grin.

"Ms. Dickinson wouldn't mind if I perhaps went out every once in a great while, I don't think," he said, looking down at the leather-bound book. He was taken aback as he felt something wrap around his neck gently, and he looked up; Maggie smiled back up at him as she adjusted his scarf.

"You don't look the same without it," Maggie said as she finished adjusting it. "Ollie and I found a photo in it… Who's the girl? Someone you liked and never told us about?"

"Nothing like that," Fujuju answered. "Let's just say there's a lot I owe to her. Oh, look at the time! We have to head back if your sister's not going to be worried!"

"I already think she will be when she sees the bandages," Maggie answered, holding up her bandaged arm "Don't worry… I'll just tell her it was some sort of accident."

"Normally I don't condone lying, but I can't see where there's a lie in that," Fujuju answered. "Tama-chan! I have to leave now!" he called out, and Tamama was in the middle of eating another large cookie.

"What, already?" asked the tadpole after taking a swallow of the cookie.

"Don't worry, like I said before, we'll be back again… Just… No more dates for me. I beg of you," Fujuju said with a worried smile.

"You got it!"

"And… I think you'll find a nice surprise for you in the living room," Oliver returned with the brooms now, and Fujuju gave a wide, satisfied grin as Tamama noted a large tin on the coffee table.

"Wowwww!" he gasped as he opened the lid and looked at all of the brightly colored cookies; dozens laid out on top of one another.

"The flashbacks to that awful humiliation of last night kept me from sleeping soundly, so I figured I'd do something constructive with my time while I recovered," Fujuju explained. "Hopefully they'll keep you until my next visit."

"You mean you're coming next weekend?" Tamama asked brightly.

"Ehhhhh…."

"We'll see," Maggie lifted up the Keronian and took her broom in the other hand. "Maybe if we do well on our papers."

"Bloody… I haven't done mine yet!" Oliver gasped in realization. "We better hurry!"

Fujuju gave a sigh and shook his head, but smiled all the same, "I suppose I'll be helping you with that… And now that I have a little experience under my belt, I can help you out with this young lady you've been speaking about…"

"Huh?!" Oliver's face went red, and Maggie laughed. "Just because you got one in doesn't make you an expert all of a sudden!"

"One more than you've had, Ollie," Maggie answered, and pulled open the glass door. "Say goodbye to everyone for us!"

"Okay! Come back soon!" Tamama waved to them, and Oliver took off from the backyard, followed by Maggie. Fujuju flew with the young girl.

"Pretty busy weekend for you, huh?" Maggie said to the Keronian.

"It certainly was… So many well-meaning people. I'm afraid to say I'm exhausted from it all," Fujuju admitted. "This is why I much prefer helping than being helped."

"Oh, it wasn't all so bad, now was it?" Maggie answered, and patted him atop the head.

"No… I suppose not…" Fujuju said with a bit of thought. "Still, I forbid all further discussion of my love life."

"Oliver's fair game?" asked Maggie.

"More than," Fujuju answered, then smiled wider at the boy, who picked up the speed on his broom as they spoke of him.

"You think you'll tell us about that girl in the photo someday?" asked Maggie.

"Someday, I promise. But as of now… I'm still quite exhausted from this story. And that is a totally different one," Fujuju replied.


	15. Keroro Shotai: What? She must Exist! Pt1

Episode 8:  
Keroro Shotai: What? She must Exist!  
Part 1

"And then we…" Giroro drowned out Keroro from this point in the meeting. Something didn't feel right about sitting there. He looked about; it was clear that something was wrong with the others about him as well, they were sensing it. Something was wrong with the picture.

"Eh? Giroro? Are you with us?" Keroro asked, waving a hand in out to Giroro, and he sprung up.

"Huh?! Yes, sure," he nodded, and looked down at the table. "I'm sorry…. It's just… Something about today feels… Off. I'm probably just fatigued. Too much training."

"I understand, Giroro-dono," Dororo nodded. "I've had that feeling all day as well. As though something were missing."

"Actually," Keroro scratched the back of his head. "I thought it was simply due to the fact I'd misplaced the keys on to my saucer, but I have the same inkling feeling… Perhaps we should motion to call it a day."

There was a general nod amongst the group, and they all began to disperse from the table. Kururu wasn't moving, however. He sat, his head leading against the palm of his hand; clearly he was thinking the same thing on everyone else's mind; something was very wrong about the day.

Giroro made his way out of the meeting room, and up to his tent, his mind still racing over what it could be.

"I'm going out!" Mois waved him off, and Giroro nodded, taking a seat and taking up one of his guns to polish.

"Hrm…" he looked at his reflection in the shiny metal, specifically his belt… A flash came to him, but he wasn't sure of what. "…What's going on here?"

Mois hurried into town, and then down the alien alleyway. As she walked down the wide streets, she stopped. There were two empty storefronts, and across from one another… From the large mirror that made up one of the inside walls, it was clear one had been a dance studio at some point.

"Could you say… A clear case of déjà vu?" she said to herself, and then slowly continued down the alley, albeit at a slower pace. The whole place, although now full, had suddenly become very eerie.

"Ughhhh I can't figure it out!" Tamama fell back onto the ground, allowing his magazine to fall over his face. "What's missing here?!"

"I'm not sure, Tamama Nitohei, but I'm still feeling it… I felt it even more so when I reached for my tool chest just a little while ago," Keroro admitted as he continued painting over his Gunpla figure. "And again today when I opened the refrigerator! I was just going for some star fruit, but something struck me when I was looking at vegetables, of all the strange things! …And we didn't even forget Dororo this time!"

"Maybe it's a holiday and we forgot," Tamama walked over and switched on the TV, and he was struck by something familiar about the character on it.

"Is something wrong, Tamama-chan?" Keroro swiveled about, and saw Tamama transfixed at the image on the screen; a cooking show, hosted by a soft-spoken host. Tamama quickly shook his head and looked to Keroro.

"No, I'll be fine, Gunso-san! We're probably just overlooking something that's not even important!" Tamama scratched the back of his head and laughed. "…I do want toffee cookies all of a sudden, though…"

"Toffee cookies? I wasn't even aware of such a thing!"

"…I didn't think I was, either…" Tamama admitted, puzzled.

"Gya!" Dororo yelped and slipped off of the wooden log he stood on, and Koyuki opened one eye and looked at her ninja companion, a bit concerned.

"That's the fourth time you've done that, Dororo… You aren't sick, are you?" she bent down and felt his forehead; indeed he was a bit flushed.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious, Koyuki-dono…. There's just the oddest feeling about today, and those lilies over there just seem to make me think even more that…. There's something missing from the world suddenly. And I can't figure out what."

"Well, that plant isn't supposed to grow around here, really, maybe that's it!" Koyuki answered, taking up her stance on the wooden log again.

"Pardon?"

"They're normally found in the rain forest. It's weird that they can grow here, but I guess it's all the attention you give them!"

"I… I suppose so," Dororo nodded, and stood up on the log again.

"Dinner time," Kururu announced, then stopped once he poured the curry over his rice. He turned around, and there was no one there. "Huh… Eh? What're you doing here?" he wondered aloud at the sight of Giroro now standing there in front of him.

"I'm…. Not sure…" he answered, scratching his cheek and looking away, searching for the answer. "I didn't even think about coming down here, I just did… It felt like I had to…. Kururu. You've felt it too, haven't you? That something's not right here."

"Kuku… I have, actually," Kururu answered. "You're here, for one…"

"Aside from that! Like someone who's supposed to be here isn't!" Giroro snapped. "…What's in that room over there?"

"It's just storage," Kururu answered as Giroro hurried over to it, and slid open the door. Indeed, it was a dark room, full of cardboard boxes and odds and ends. "Are you done acting weird now?"

Giroro backed away, and slid the door shut, "I… I suppose so…. Do you remember going to the zoo a little while ago?"

"Mm. You and I went."

"Why?"

"….Kuku, you know, I don't know," answered Kururu. With that, Giroro left; he clutched onto his head, which was starting to hurt. While he did this, Kururu again looked down at the plate, and allowed the food to slide into the garbage. He then climbed back into his chair, and sat there, silent.

"Really today's been a strange one! Quieter than usual, too…." Keroro said as he began to pack away his Gunpla for the day.

He began to toss the tools into the chest, and shut it. He then went for the paint, accidentally knocking over the red paint in the process. "Gero!" he yelped, and went to pick it up; it had gotten onto the bottle of yellow paint in the process. Keroro grumbled to himself and began to wipe up the paint, turning over the yellow canister in order to wipe it off. He stopped, though; it made a swirl pattern, almost, with the red…. It looked like a yin-yang.

Keroro stared at it for a moment, then his eyes went wide, and he gasped, "Ge… GEROOO! That's right, I've got it! Kirere-chan!"

"You're saying I have a what?" Giroro blinked, and Tamama rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"A daughter! With Kururu Soucho!" Keroro answered, waving his arms wildly.

"Kuku, we're like that? That's news to me," Kururu chuckled to Giroro.

"We're nothing like that!" Giroro snarled. "We don't have a daughter! Why would I have a child suddenly!?"

"Because Kururu Soucho made her as a super weapon, but she's a terrible super weapon!" Keroro answered. "She's our chief mechanic! She helped make our second submarine! She's tiny and pink and has headphones!"

"…I think you've taken in too many paint fumes," Giroro muttered. "How would headquarters allow us to get away with something like that, even if it were true?"

"Kuku, it's not like I'd tell them," Kururu chuckled. "Why would I go through all the bother of having a child around? Sounds like a great bother to me…"

"You… You don't believe me?" Keroro asked quietly, his arms dropping to his sides.

"This all does seem like a far-fetched dream, Teicho-dono…" Dororo admitted.

"She's… She's real…" Keroro said quietly, then grabbed Tamama. "You and she are always fighting like siblings, Tamama-chan!"

"Gunso-san… I think you need some sleep…" Tamama said worriedly.

"I have to agree with him on this, Keroro," Giroro answered, shutting his eyes. "You're acting stranger than usual, and that's saying a lot…"

"But… I…"

"We're going to bed now, Keroro. Unless you're on fire, or something's attacking, don't bother me," Giroro said warningly as he went for the door. Kururu, Dororo, and Tamama all followed the corporal, leaving Keroro there by himself.

"This is like some sort of nightmare…" Keroro muttered, and took a seat on the floor once again. He was there by himself once more, left wondering if he was indeed going insane. "…Maybe I am overworked…"

"Giroro and Kururu's what?" Natsumi repeated as she stood making breakfast the following morning.

"Daughter! The one Kururu Soucho made with his and Giroro Goucho's DNA!" Keroro answered. "She's pink, and always taking yours or Mama-dono's makeup, Natsumi-dono! Here, she looks like this!"

He retrieved a picture he had drawn up earlier in the morning; it was poorly sketched; Natsumi looked at it for a few moments, then laughed and tossed it back to Keroro.

"Like they'd ever have anything that cute," Natsumi snorted. "Fuyuki! Breakfast is ready! Hrm… Where's the hot sauce at?..."

"Ha! Why would Natsumi-dono need to put out hot sauce at the breakfast table?!" Keroro shouted in victory.

"Stupid Frog! I always put it out for…. Well…" Natsumi thought a moment, and looked over her shoulder at the table.

"And you set out an extra place! That's because Kirere-chan always eats breakfast before going to the bill dodger's!"

"What bill dodger?" Natsumi asked.

"You… You know, Haruki-dono! He runs the garage and has the crush on Mama-dono!" Keroro explained.

"…I think you've inhaled too many paint fumes, Stupid Frog…"

"Why's everyone keep saying that?!" Keroro snapped.

"Eh? Gunso, is everything okay?" Fuyuki walked into the kitchen and saw the exhausted and frustrated Keroro, and Natsumi gave a giggle as she took a seat.

"Now he's into making up stupid stories about there being even more Stupid Frogs," Natsumi explained.

"Fu… Fuyuki-dono, you'd believe me, right?" Keroro hopped up to Fuyuki, teary-eyed, and took the boys hand.

"…Sure, Gunso…. I mean, if you're this upset, it can't be over nothing!"

"Don't humor him, Fuyuki. Please…"

"Take me to the bill dodger's then! Or Ojiisama's!"

"Ojiisama's? Gunso, you have an uncle here?! That's great!"

Keroro slapped his forehead and cursed, "I'll go myself!"

"…Wow, it's weird seeing him that upset over something like that…" Natsumi muttered after hearing the door slam.

"Unless… Nee-chan, do you think Gunso could be telling the truth?" Fuyuki ventured to ask.

Natsumi was silent, and looked over at the extra place setting; it was odd seeing it there, untouched, "….Well… Weirder stuff's happened here, I guess…"

"The bill dodger will believe me! As close as he and Kirere-chan are, there's no way he'd forget her! Their bond of friendship is too strong!" Keroro huffed as he rushed down the street, now in a Pekoponian suit. He stopped at the front gates of the garage, and smiled widely. He then started to make his way in, but gave a yell of terror as a guard dog bounced against the fence, its fangs bared at him.

"Spike! Down! Down!" Haruki called as he hurried out, then shooed away the dog. "Can I help you? If it's money you want, I'm no help to you."

"Ah, same old bill dodger!"

"Same old what?" Haruki snapped, the cigarette still in his mouth.

"It's awful, no one's believing that Kirere-chan's ever even existed!" Keroro began. "Not Giroro, not Kururu, not anybody! I know you would though, Haruki-san! You couldn't possibly forget your best friend!"

"…I don't have any friends; I think you have the wrong person."

"But… But she works here…"

"I only have one other employee, and he's probably breaking something while I'm out here wasting my time with you," Haruki answered, and both were drawn to a laughing that came from inside. "Ugh, what's he done now? I've got to go… I'm sorry, but I've never heard of your friend."

"…You, either?" Keroro's shoulder's slumped, and he was again alone on the sidewalk.

"That makes no one, then… No one believes me…" Keroro muttered, "Am I dreaming it? But… It's so vivid, I can remember every last detail! And no Ojiisama, either… But that makes sense… If there's no Kirere-chan, there's no way we meet Ojiisama, or any of his friends… That means… He's still under control right now, and Rokiki-san's still frozen… And poor Fujuju-san's still a shut-in… I… I can't have that! I have to convince them! Kirere-chan is real, I just know it! I couldn't have dreamt all of those memories up! There's just no way!"

"Gunso?" Fuyuki looked up from the TV as Keroro opened the door slowly and trudged in, loosening the tie of his suit.

"I don't wish to talk about it, Fuyuki-dono… Please understand…" Keroro said quietly, shuffling past Fuyuki and into his room.

Fuyuki looked over to Natsumi and she looked back at him, clearly worried.

"I feel nuts for saying this, but… I think I'm actually starting to believe Stupid Frog," Natsumi admitted.

Keroro, meanwhile, had forsaken his Gunpla, and was already curled up and ready for bed, his back to the door, "…She's gone for good…"

"What're you doing here this late?" Giroro poked at the fire and looked up to Saburo with disdain, and the silver-haired boy returned this with a pleasant grin.

"I know it's kind of late, but I had a few CDs to return to Kururu, and I was in the neighborhood," Saburo answered, holding up a small stack he held in one hand. "Hey, where's Kirere-chan? Doesn't she usually eat dinner with you on these nights?"

Giroro nearly fell off of the cinder block, and Saburo blinked with surprise, "What, did you guys have a fight? That's a shame when parents and siblings have arguments, you lose out on so many good moments!"

"Is… Is this some kind of trick?!" Giroro asked, standing. "Are you in this with Keroro?!"

"Huh?"

"Sa… Saburo-senpai! What're you doing here?" the glass door flew open and Natsumi poked out her head.

"Wondering what's going on here… I just mentioned Kirere and you would have thought he'd seen a ghost!... Huh? What's wrong, did I say something?"

"She… You remember her, too?!"

"Sure! You can't forget eyes like that, they're just like Kururu's… Except not nearly as cold, hehe…"

"What… What else is she like?!" Giroro demanded, clenching his fists.

"Well… She has a tail, and she dresses like Kururu… But she acts a lot more like you… She's not the best at a whole like, but she's got spirit! And she wears a bracelet that looks like that belt you always wear…. Am I in the middle of some game you guys are making up, because I really want to know if I'm winning or not…"

"Wait…. I remember now! She wears brown gloves!" Natsumi said, looking down at the ground. "And she's broken this door three times!"

"Four," Giroro looked over to Natsumi. "I had to replace it myself each time; the last is when we were playing baseball…"

"Is everybody all right tonight? Did… Did I come at a bad time?" Saburo asked.

"So I did make her then… Kuku, I wonder what possessed me…" Kururu chuckled; in the lab with him were Saburo (the only one who looked relatively cool-headed besides Kururu), the Hinata children, Mois, and the Keroro platoon.

"Well, you do have a weird sense of humor," Saburo answered, and Kururu laughed.

"I suppose so… It's nothing I did, I can guarantee that," Kururu swiveled back in his chair, turning his back to all of them, and began to type away on his keyboard.

"If she's been here, then why isn't she now?" asked Tamama.

"And how do we get her back?" Mois continued. "Could you say, quite the mystery?"

"Hrm… Looks like there was some kind of upset two days ago…" Kururu said, his own voice showing some surprise in it. "Some alien life form presence…"

"Really? So another alien did this?" Fuyuki concluded.

"A strong one…" Kururu continued. "It would have to be for these readings… It could be a Nebulon, a very, very skilled Angol with these readings… Or something else…"

"I don't like the sound of that "something else"," Keroro admitted gravely.

"What could make someone vanish from history?" Giroro demanded.

"If I knew that I'd be telling you," Kururu snapped back. "I can think of one thing…It could be… But I thought that was some kind of myth, kuku! I didn't think they were around anymore…"

"What? What is it?" Giroro shouted.

"A time bender alien," Kururu answered.

"What's a time bender?" asked Natsumi as she read the stunned faces of the aliens. "Is that something bad?"

"An old fairy tale… Supposedly they were a form of alien that was above time…" Dororo explained. "They were hunted down for this power, the one no alien race has yet to achieve."

"That's because the control of time's so volatile," Kururu answered. "And it's too much power for any person… It led to their own destruction. Even if they were around, I doubt there would be any more left… But I don't think anything else could do something like this."

"You really expect me to believe that there's really such a thing as an alien that knows how to manipulate time?" Giroro snorted.

"Kuku, about as much as I expect you to believe you have a daughter…"

"How do you find a time bender?" Natsumi asked the group.

"You cause a time fluctuation big enough to get their attention…" Kururu answered.

"How are we supposed to do that?" asked Natsumi, and Kururu began to laugh. Saburo smirked at this, and looked to Natsumi knowingly.

"I think he's got a few tricks up his sleeve…"

"Always," Kururu chuckled.


	16. Keroro Shotai: What? She must Exist! Pt2

Episode 8:  
Keroro Shotai: What? She Must Exist!  
Part 2

Kururu had gone back to the glass case where he kept his ray guns, walking back out with the one that had the ability to age a living being. Fuyuki immediately lit up at the sight of it.

"I get it! The Gaia theorem!" exclaimed the boy, and Kururu gave a laugh.

"Good to know someone's been paying attention in class. I'm going to set it back to two years younger," laughed the scientist. He set the dial, and then shot; as a result, a light emitted around them briefly, and when it faded they were still in the same lab. There was another Kururu typing away on the computer, his back turned to the group.

Everyone made sure to shuffle away from this Kururu quickly, including the scientist himself.

"So what's your plan now, Soucho?" asked Fuyuki in a whisper.

"A calculated risk," Kururu answered. "You know how to work this if this doesn't work out, right?"

"Huh? Yes, I think so…" Fuyuki nodded, and Kururu then handed the gun off to him.

"Kuku, good, someone needs to make a distraction now…"

"I'll do it," Giroro answered as Kururu began to scoot off, and Giroro approached the past Kururu, as nonchalantly as possible.

"Eh? What're you doing here?" the past Kururu asked, looking over to Giroro.

"I… Well..." Giroro sputtered, and looked to the rest of the group for help. It was clear his mind had suddenly gone blank.

"Jeeze he's a bad actor," Tamama groaned, slapping his forehead.

"Did you need something?" the past Kururu asked, tapping his fingers against the arm of his chair.

While Giroro continued to fail at coming up with a decent answer, the present Kururu quietly stalked behind to the other version of himself, staying silent as he removed a panel on one of the back computers and plugging in a flashdrive. The past Kururu switched his attention from Giroro to the flickering screens, and was taken aback at the information that began to flash up on the screen. Namely the screen it settled on, "PROJECT: KLL BIOLOGICAL DNA-BASED WEAPON: OVERVIEW".

"It's good I was able to make this up, even if it's just a few small paragraphs, kuku!" Kururu chuckled to himself as he began back toward the group.

"When did I make this?" the past Kururu asked himself. He looked to his left for Giroro, but the Corporal had vanished, "…Kuku, this sounds like the results headquarters has been looking for to allow us to stay in this cushy job…"

The past Kururu then began to pull up some new screens, apparently now going through military files.

"Out of all of the soldiers, he's the one I have the most biological information on… I suppose it makes sense…. And it could fill in the cracks of my own admittedly twisted personality, kukuku! Yes, yes, this could work… It's about time he served some purpose to me," said the past Kururu, and the present Kururu continued to slowly sneak away from the past him, back towards the elated group. He wasn't able to make it though; there was another flash, this one light blue, like a ball of electricity.

The lab had vanished around them…. In fact, now they all stood in the same position in crumbled out ruins, the sky outside them starry and purple, and fallen pillars and gravel all about them.

"What do you not understand about disrupting the flow of time?" came an even, mechanical, but irked tone, booming through the ruins.

The alien in front of them was in the shape of a woman, but tall, standing about six and a half feet, with long silver hair, and pink eyes, and stark white skin. Over her face was a mask, purple and covering the upper portion of her face, with two cat-like ears sticking up from it.

She wore a long purple dress, black in the middle and golden accents, with long flowing sleeves that nearly covered her hands. And she, like an Angol, had a large golden staff in one hand, although there was no symbol on one end, and on the other it was sharp and pointed, a purple jewel towards this end.

"A time bender…" Mois whispered in awe. "Just like in the stories…."

"Kuku, I suppose this shows they do exist…" Kururu added as he looked up at the tall alien.

"Are you the one who's been doing all of this?! Gi… Give me back my daughter!" Giroro demanded, although this was shaky as he did so; the alien was imposing looking, glaring coldly across at the group, as if she were sizing up each individually.

"Her existence is not part of the time strip, it was ruled an anomaly and dealt with as was seen fit," she answered.

"But… But Kiichi's a person, you can't just go doing that!" Tamama sputtered. "You didn't even know her!"

"Yeah, you have no right to!" Natsumi snapped. "What makes you think you do?!"

"As the last of my kind, it gives me every right to hold up our responsibilities… Namely, making sure the flow of time is consistent. In making an unnatural being, this was violated, and then dealt with accordingly. If there were more of us, this would have been dealt with sooner," she answered.

"Last of your kind?" Mois repeated to herself, and the time bending alien caught this.

"For the past millennia, at least," she explained. "I've been doing the work of all of them, checking for anomalies. You're the first ones to catch on and try to reproduce the same anomaly…. That's both impressive and idiotic."

"She's not an "anomaly", she's a living person! It's not as though it's anything you had to concern yourself with! You took someone who everyone cares about and pulled them away from us, you're the only one who's disrupted anything!" Giroro barked, and took up one of his guns, much to the horror of those around him.

"Gi-Giroro-dono, don't! She's our one chance at getting Kirere-chan back!" Dororo sputtered. "Please don't be so rash!"

"I hate having my fate decided by some holier-than-thou nuisance!" Giroro barked directly at the alien.

"It's above your understanding!" the alien shot back. "I'm sending you back to your own plane, be grateful I've spared your lives."

Saburo gave a small laugh; a thought had just occurred to him. He drew looks from everyone else with this laugh, and he smiled, "I think you just got confused… Kirere-chan does that to a lot of people…"

"I don't get confused!" she growled. "I don't need the field mice of the universe giving me a lecture on the same job I've been doing for thousands of years!"

"Everyone makes mistakes, it's all right; we won't hold it against you. You thought you were doing a good job is all," Saburo answered, and she was surprised by his brazenness.

"Ain't that the truth," Keroro sighed and nodded.

"If Kirere really weren't supposed to be here, like you're saying, we would've all forgotten about her, right?" Saburo took a step towards the alien, and she took a corresponding step back away from the group. "But we didn't. And that's because she does belong here. She just got here a little different, and that's what threw you off. Sure, she was born a little different, but she was still born."

"W-Well? No, I…"

"And that's an anomaly right there, isn't it? You pulling her out of her time?" Saburo continued.

"Kuku, that's about the right definition… That would also mean you broke your own rule," Kururu nodded, and she was speechless, giving out only a small squeak in return.

"We're not asking for the world, just to have things the way they were," Dororo said to her gently.

"It's just one person, and it's not like anyone will know if you messed up… It's all right, we all do it," Saburo reassured her.

"I… You make a valid argument," she looked down at the ground, shaken and out of counter attacks. "If what you say is true, then… Perhaps… There was an oversight on my part… And just this once, I rule to make an exception."

"Oh, just admit you messed up already!" Keroro yelled, and Natsumi answered this with a vice grip on his head. "Gero… O-Or you could just fix things and we'll call it even…."

"Make things exactly how they were three days ago," Giroro continued. "We want everyone back like before. That is how things are supposed to go for us."

She looked down with deep concern, and lifted up her staff, and came down on the floor of the ruins, giving a yell as she did so.

"Thank you, miss time bender!" Keroro called out to her as there was another flash of light, and the group slowly faded out of the ruins.

"Shut up before we do something else to get her angry!" Giroro snapped, smacking Keroro on the back of the head accordingly. Her eyes opened a bit in surprise at this.

"….No one's thanked me before…" she said to herself as the group before her finally vanished fully, and she was left there herself. "They're… Interesting to come all this way…. For just one person…."

Kirere fidgeted in bed, and tried to fall back asleep, in order to get a few more moments rest, but she couldn't find it; she felt as though there were someone watching her… The young girl slowly opened her eyes, then they flew open; indeed there were people watching her sleep… The Keroro Platoon, Saburo, the Hinata siblings, and the lone Angol.

The girl gave a high-pitched scream as she came to, and was even more confused as Giroro pulled her out of bed and hugged her.

"What… Is… It's not my birthday yet, is it?" she asked shakily.

"Something like that, kuku!" Kururu answered.

"I've gotta make a phone call!" Tamama exclaimed, and hurried out of the room while dialing his phone, "Hello? Fujuju-san! Boy, you sound sleepy… Wow, that is pretty early! Well, since you're up, how are you?"

"You should go make a call, too, Dororo," Giroro was still clutching onto Kirere as he looked up at the ninja, who flushed slightly.

"I prefer a more conventional means of contact… I'm going to go compose a letter to Lupapa-dono, asking about her well-being," Dororo answered, retrieving a sheet of paper as well as a vat of ink and brush.

"Daddy… I can't breathe…" Kirere squeaked out, and Giroro let go of his grip on her.

"S-Sorry, I just…."

"Am I going somewhere? Everyone just seems… I dunno, weird today…" Kirere said, looking about at those who remained.

"Hello?" a knock came on the door, and Romama peered his head in, one arm carrying a bag of fruit. "Tamama said you were here…"

"OJIISAMA!" Keroro rushed the unsuspecting Major, and before Romama could do anything, Keroro had taken a hold of him and was swinging him about. The fruit went flying in all directions, but Keroro didn't care. Romama stumbled about and fell to the ground when Keroro finally let go of him. "It… It's good to see you…."

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Romama muttered. "Nee-chan, make the floor stop spinning…"

"Just plant one of your feet firmly on the ground and you'll be okay," Chunini stepped over him while Lee stood behind her, looking formal as always. "Don't mind me, I'm just stopped into eat your food and abuse your cable! Wha…. What's with that look for…?" she took a few nervous steps back at the look Keroro gave her. "What is this? D-Don't tell me you're happy to see me…"

"More than happy, Chunini-san!" Keroro exclaimed. "Come on, let's go watch some soap operas, I heard there's a great one starting, plus another one wrapping up!"

Chunini was numb with confusion as Keroro placed an arm over her shoulder and led her out of the base, "I can't wait to see what happens between Sakura and Kyosuke! Will she finally declare her love for him? Will he finally come out of his coma? We'll see!"

Chunini looked ready to cry now as Keroro walked out with her at his side.

"Lee-san!" Lee turned her head at the sound of her name, and there were Natsumi and Fuyuki. Natsumi smiled and picked up a few of the tossed pieces of fruit, "We'll make smoothies upstairs, what do you think?"

"I think I'm more than a little confused…" Lee admitted, blinking. "Did… Something happen since our last trip here?"

"It's a long story," Fuyuki admitted as Natsumi left him and walked out with Lee. "Eh?" he was surprised as his phone went off, and he looked at the number, "Nishizawa-san? Hello?"

"Fu… Fuyuki-kun! The Occult Club's outside waiting for you when you're ready…"

"Huh? That's right, we're going to go investigate some strange rock formations today!" Fuyuki gasped.

"Hurry up or we'll start fining you!" came Chandi's voice in the background.

"I'll be right there!" Fuyuki laughed, and hung up the phone. "I'm going out!"

"Have good time, Fuyuki-dono! Ah…. Chunini-san said she cared for some alone time, to sort her mind…" Keroro called out as he walked back to the group, having left Chunini with her soap operas, and at this point Romama had regained enough balance to grip one of Keroro's legs and send him crashing to the ground beside him.

"I missed Ojiisama's unneeded violence!" Keroro said cheerfully from his place on the ground. "Let's go to the beach, Ojiisama! Or maybe invite along your Pekoponian friend!"

"What?! Are you insane!? Or have you finally gotten too many paint fumes to the brain?!" Romama snapped.

"Nothing like that! I just missed seeing Ojiisama is all!" Keroro answered, patting Romama on the shoulders.

"Huh…?" Romama pondered this for a few moments, then gave a small smile and shook his head. "You're an idiot, you know that?... But for some reason I'm still happy to see you, too."

"Eh? Where are we going?" Keroro asked as Romama stood up.

"Ramen. My treat," Romama answered, and nodded toward the door.

"All right, I'll drive!" Keroro chirped happily.

"Drive?... I've gotta get to work!" Kirere gasped, bolting up from Giroro's grasp. "I'm going to the late! Kire?... Are you sure you're going to be okay, Daddy? You look like you need a nap…"

"I… I think you could be right there. It's been a long past couple of days…"

"Must be… I can't really remember a lot from them…" Kirere admitted with a frown, holding her forehead. "Was I sick?"

"You were running a fever," Kururu answered before Giroro could say anything. "You slept most of the time away."

"Wow, it must've been bad! Well, I'm glad I'm better now," she smiled and walked out of the room, putting on her gloves along the way, and Giroro was left there, with Kururu chuckling as he usually did.

"….You didn't have to do that, you know," Giroro said to Kururu.

"Kuku, oh, but I did…." Kururu replied, gave another laugh, then walked out, leaving Giroro to ponder this.

Kirere stuck her head back in her bedroom door, calling Giroro's attention, "You want to walk me out, Daddy?"

"Mm, that sounds like a good idea to me. Let's go," Giroro patted her on the head as he walked out with her. "Kirere… How about I visit you at work today?"

The young girl lit up at this, "Really?! I'm sure Rokiki-san and Haruki would love that! I'll even drive you!"

Giroro cringed at this, but allowed her to bring out her bike all the same, and shut his eyes as she started it up. He only opened them when he realized the threat of death wasn't as imminent as he had thought.

"You've gotten a lot better at this…." he admitted as he looked down at the suburban skyline they flew above.

"I practiced a lot… Papa and Ojiisama taught me!" she replied, revving it up a bit and picking up speed. Giroro clung onto her tighter out of instinct.

"That wasn't an invitation to go as fast as you can, Kirere."

"Oh, sorry… Dad…. Can you answer something for me?"

"What's wrong?" Giroro asked, noting the rare grave tone in her voice.

"Was I really sick, like Papa said?"

"Giro? What would make you think you weren't?"

"This just feels…. Strange… Like I've been away a couple of days, but I don't remember any of it," she admitted.

"What matters is you're here now."

"I guess so…. Can I ask another question? What's a functioning alcoholic?"

"Wha… Where did you hear THAT?!" Giroro yelped.

"Rokiki-san said that's what he was turning into… But he doesn't look any different!"

"It…. It just means he's as big an idiot as I imagined him…" Giroro replied wearily.

The Hinata household had quieted down, for the most part. And on the roof, enjoying the serenity, sat two men, enjoying a quiet battle of chess.

"Man, looks like you're going to win this one, too," Saburo sighed as he moved his pawn, only to have it fallen at one of Dororo's chess pieces moments later. "How the heck do you manage to do that?"

"It's all about knowing each of your options, and when to use which ones," was Dororo's answer. "Much like in battle…. Doro?" he lifted up the sword at his side, and Saburo turned around to see what exactly the ninja Keronian was looking at.

There was the time bender, floating in mid-air, and her staff in both hands. She watched them silently for a few more moments, and Saburo gave a chuckle.

"Hey, you decided to join us! You can pull up a seat if you want, this game's almost done," said Saburo, returning to his game. "Hehe, if you haven't played before, Dororo can teach you. I haven't won against him yet!"

"Games like that are a waste of time," she answered coldly.

"Hehe, depends on what you get out of it," Saburo replied. "They probably wouldn't mind if you hung out here every once in a while… There's always something weird happening around here. It's pretty cool, actually!"

"I'm not so sure about glorifying it, but yes, we indeed it's never dull around here…." Dororo added with a nervous laugh.

"So what do you say…. Hey, what is your name, anyway?" Saburo continued, while she kept with the serious expression.

"…I have no need for one."

"Well that's just a shame then. Everybody has to answer to something."

"I answer only to my occupation," she replied, and Saburo took up his sketchpad, making a few quick lines and tossing out the sheet. It flew out and into her hands, now transformed into a frilled, hot pink flower.

"How about Botan?" Saburo suggested. She closed the flower slowly in her hand, and the  
n faded without another word.

"A few friendship, you think?" asked Dororo.

"She just looks like she needs a home, and if anywhere, this would be the place for her," Saburo answered, then his smile faded as he looked down at the board. "Hey, no fair, I wasn't even paying attention!"

"War waits for no man, especially one with a blind eye," Dororo replied.

"I challenge you to a rematch, then."

"Graciously accepted."


	17. Romama Platoon: Team Assemble! Pt1

Episode 9:  
Romama Platoon: Assemble! The Pekopon Research Team!  
Part 1

Eh, a little bit of explaining here… This starts off indeed a long, long time ago… And the galaxy's far away, I'd imagine…. I've been trying to do this episode for a while, but it always came out too dark for my liking. In fact, I think it's still a little dark compared to previous chapters… But it's one I've been wanting to write for some time, and I know some have suggested it, as well :D I know it's a little different than usual, but I hope you enjoy it all the same ^_^! Here it is, Romama Platoon: Episode 0.

"A woman? In the assassin squad?"

"The first one they've allowed in," the second guard said to the first. "And she's scored the top…"

"Among the women? Hehe, well, that wouldn't be hard if she's the only one."

"Among any of the other assassins," answered the second guard. As he spoke, another Keronian soldier, fully armored, flew out of the stadium. "Rokiki found her…. Supposedly she was some crook before that. You know, that thief they caught trying to steal from the national archives a few months ago!"

"Rokiki? He trained her? He must've seen something in her then…" there went another Keronian man flying out of the stadium gates, the soldiers seemed unfazed by this.

"I think if you saw her without the mask, you'd understand," the one guard answered, and both shared a laugh. Both turned their heads at the sound of loud cheering, and looked through the gates to the center of the dusty arena.

Amongst the fainted bodies of the assassins one alone them stood, smaller and with one eye covered on her bronze helmet. She set down her staff and removed her helmet, then looked out stoically across the crowd, her expression unchanging; it looked as through she were looking for someone in the audience with the one uncovered green eye.

She soon found herself lifted up, and there was another cheer. She looked down at Rokiki, whose shoulder she now balanced on. She smiled at him slowly, and he returned this with a sharp-toothed grin. He continued to carry her like this until they had left the arena area, and in the green-room area.

"The superiors were watching that," Rokiki said as he set her down and took her helmet and staff. "You… You were looking for them again, weren't you?"

"It's the only reason I went through that circus," Lupapa answered, adjusting the black strap of leather around her blinded eye.

"I haven't given up on what I promised you, I'll find your siblings. All of them. If we both get this new mission they're talking about, everyone on Keron will know about us. One of them will find you if I don't find them, Lupapa…. You have my word on it."

"You're nervous about being chosen?" she asked as she continued to walk down the hall with him. "You're more energetic than usual."

"No… It's… Something unrelated…" Rokiki admitted, looking away from her then stopping. Lupapa did the same after a moment, and looked him over, awaiting an answer. "I… Wanted to give you something, I'm just hoping this is the right place…"

"Hrm?" she watched as he reached from beneath the helmet and pulled out a small box.

"….I'll put away your weapon and helmet. Please, think about that," Rokiki said, nearly dropping the armor as he left Lupapa there, speechless at the sight of the emerald ring.

"You see they're choosing a scientist to go along," one black-clad Keronian said excitedly as he and a group of others, dressed similarly, worked away at a long table, full of chemicals, beakers, and scrolls.

Each Keronian wore a bone-white gas mask in addition to the entirely black ensemble, each looking a bit differently; some had beak-like extensions coming from the nose area of his mask, others had symbols painted on their masks… All had black, shiny eyes on their masks.

"Really? Finally, some respect!" another laughed. The others joined in this cackle, and he spoke again, "I went in and put in an application… I think anyone who was able to apply did!"

At this a few looked back to a table, where a lone scientist sat, tinkering away on a metallic, ball-like piece of machinery. He felt the eyes on him, and turned around; at this, the other scientists resumed their work, but not without a few stray giggles. This lone scientist answered this with a sigh, and pushed up from his seat, and went out onto the balcony of the lighthouse-shaped structure. He removed his mask and hat, and Fujuju looked out on the expansive city in front of him.

"A new start…. That's the ticket…" he said to himself. "Get away from all of the laughing… All of them. Somewhere where nobody knew me… It's not like I'm not alone now here."

"There's someone at the door, and they want Fujuju Soucho!" came the surprised voice of one of the scientists from inside. Fujuju again looked back to the scientists, this time confused.

"What'd he do now?" one moaned, while others laughed. Fujuju's frown deepened, and he walked back in, his mask and hat still in hand.

"You did WHAT?!" Mahihi was slack-jawed as he looked over to Rokiki, who sat beside him in the bar. Rokiki grinned and finished off his drink. "Here, have another, you'll need it!" Mahihi added, pushing the bottle towards Rokiki.

"I think I'm already drunk enough off of high spirits…" Rokiki answered, and at this Mahihi took the bottle for himself. "She said yes, that's the best part."

"You're an idiot, that's what I have to say about that," Mahihi grumbled. "You go ahead and get married and have a bunch of screaming brats, I'll be the one laughing at you."

"You need to be there, you're going to be my best man," Rokiki answered. Mahihi looked a bit surprised at this, and Rokiki continued, "…You're my brother, the way your family took me in after the Great War…. I could never pay you back after all of that kindness."

"Don't tell me you're going to kiss me next," Mahihi muttered, taking a sip of his drink. "Although you might want to after the bit of news I have…"

"What? It's about the Pekopon Mission, isn't it?" Rokiki asked gripping onto the bar table. Mahihi only glanced over at Rokiki and smiled a bit, and Rokiki gripped onto his shoulders. "You know who's going?!"

"Well, I know I am…. A sergeant, and a sergeant major too… And a certain corporal and her captain fiancé… Who's even rumored to be heading the mission…" Mahihi answered slyly. "They have two more spots open; it's anyone's guess who else it's going to be…"

"The leader…." Rokiki's purple eyes went wide, and Mahihi smirked, and then laughed.

"Don't forget to breath! You're turning blue!" Mahihi chuckled. "It's still rumor, but I couldn't think of anyone better for the job, myself… And the officers have been watching you closer lately…"

"A…. Another round! On me!" Rokiki called out, and the entire bar answered with a cheer.

"After these results, we'd be glad to have you as the pilot, Kodada Nitohei! Enough to not let your relatively low rank get in the way of this important mission," Kodada repeated as she looked over the sheet of paper once again and hugged it, laughing and laying on the rail of the fountain she sat on. It was the day after Lupapa's fight, and the young girl had recently found out she was to pilot the mission, "I've got to tell Romama-kun!"

"Before you tell your sister?! Ah, don't tell me you've disowned your sister, too! Poor Chunini-chan!" Kodada bolted up and looked over her shoulder, and lit up.

Chunini's hands were full with grocery bags and bouquets, and the yellow Keronian was caught off-guard as Kodada jumped and embraced her tightly enough to knock the air out of her. "Hey, Koda-chan, you'll crush the flowers! I heard all about your good luck, so I was hoping I could find you to give you these!"

"They're beautiful!" Kodada gasped, taking the star-shaped flowers gratefully. Her smile fell, though, and transformed into a look of confusion. "Wait… Nee-chan… How… How did you know about that? And… How did you know to find me here?"

"It's where you usually meet Romama-chan, right? Hehe, you're so obvious!" Chunini chuckled. "But really it was a lot of dumb luck I ran into you! I was hoping I wouldn't have to get any closer to the house! Don't want to see the old man, you know!"

"…Mama asks about you… A lot. She misses you," Kodada said quietly. "Eh? Whose symbol is that?"

Chunini looked d own at her stomach, at the double-star shaped symbol she now wore instead of a wagon wheel, "Eriri-sensei. That's who these other flowers are for!"

Kodada looked worriedly at the other bouquet, a large pink and white one, "You… You've been staying with Eriri-san?"

"No, I just visit a lot, plus I have my vocal lessons to go to! And Eriri-sensei's simply the best teacher!" Chunini answered. "I live on the base, mainly…"

"You… You finally got a husband!? Mama's going to be so relieved!" Kodada said with a delighted gasp.

"Hehe, you know I'm not that type," Chunini answered with a wink. "I live there! I went and joined the military…. I figured you can't beat the free meals every day…. Apparently they like me; I'm getting to go on the mission, too. That'll be exciting, huh? We'll be able to catch up once we get there and find out how boring it is!... Huh? What's wrong, Koda-chan?"

"…You're different…" Kodada answered quietly, and Chunini's smile fell. "You… I can't explain it, but… You're not acting like Nee-chan."

"Well, maybe I just grew up a little more since you last saw me," Chunini thought aloud, and Kodada was about to answer, but gave a groan as the clocktower sounded.

"I have to go! I'll be late for dinner! I'll see you tomorrow, Nee-chan!" Kodada waved her sister off, and left Chunini there, alone at the fountains.

"Ah, a special dinner for the Major!" a more feminine-Keroro voice sang as she opened the door and walked in with a tray full of cooked vegetables and fruit. She then took a seat in front of her pensive-looking little brother, and lifted the green tadpole infant she had strapped on her back, placing him on her lap. "Eat up, Roma-kun! You have a big day tomorrow!"

"I'm sorry, Nee-chan…. I don't think I can eat a lot tonight…." Romama mumbled. "But it does look delicious."

"That's just nerves!" she laughed, waving this off. "Try a little, you'll like it!"

"….I don't feel like I deserve it…" he muttered.

"Someone so high-ranking at your age?! Roka, you deserve a meal like this every day! You'll never get taller if you don't! Ah, we'll all miss you so much, Roma-kun! I hope that they have a lot of nice things there on Pekopon, and that everyone's nice to you!"

"I don't think there's intelligent life there, Nee-chan," Romama admitted, and gave a weak smile. "Nee-chan… You'd love me no matter what, right?"

"….You broke something of mine again, didn't you?"

"N-No! I promise!" Romama answered, holding up his hands in defense. "I just… I feel like I don't deserve any of this. I just wanted to do well enough to get into the military, I didn't…. Think the test would go that well… I don't feel like a Major."

"You will. You'll be a natural," she stood and grinned. "I believe in you, Roma-kun! Me and your nephew! You'll have a lot of fun stories to tell him when you get back!"

"Right..." Romama said quietly as his sister walked back out of the room, leaving him and his dinner alone. "…You may still love me, Nee-chan, but if I say anything, everyone else will hate me…"

Rokiki walked in with a slight bounce in his step as he walked into the council's main room the following morning. He then looked over the group… Mahihi and Lupapa were there, as expected, as well as two students he remembered. The other was an annoyed-looking yellow Keronian woman, and the other a chartreuse scientist Keronian, looking about, bewildered; he recognized neither of these two.

"….Aren't you the one who burnt that neighboring town to a crisp?" Chunini wondered aloud as she looked over to Fujuju. Fujuju's expression was one of someone stunned, but this didn't last long, as he looked over at the red Keronian who had entered.

"That looks good on you," Rokiki said in a whisper to Lupapa as he noticed the ring now on her finger. She returned this with a small smile, and Chunini gave a small sneer. Kodada was stunned by this, and began to question her sister, but before she could finish, the council walked in, seating themselves in front of the group.

The head council member began to speak, and all turned their attention to him, "Our selection has been a careful one, and for months we have watched you all closely these past months… Rokiki Tai, step forward."

Rokiki did so, trying to hide his happiness, placing his hands behind his back and looking up at the council.

"Romama Shosa—You, too, step forward," this confused not only Rokiki, but Romama, who did so, now standing up in front of the council beside him.

"Understand our decision was a difficult one…" said the head council member. "We've watched the performances of both of you over these months, but that didn't make things any easier. While both of you possess a great deal of talent, we believe it is with Romama Shosa's quick shooting through the ranks, his skill, and his acting as a beacon of hope for our world, still reeling from a horrible battle, that he becomes the more qualified to lead the team on the journey to Pekopon."

Rokiki's smile fell; Romama turned stark white, and started to shake.

"Did you say something, Rokiki Tai?" asked one of the other council members, as Rokiki muttered something beneath his breath.

"I simply said, in fewer words, that Romama Shosa," Rokiki accented "shosa" with an especially bitter tone, "does not have the experience to lead such a high-profile mission…"

"Are you going against the council's reasoning?" the head council member asked with surprise, the eyes of his shadowed figure narrowing at Rokiki.

"Each of these marks I have signify five-hundred enemies fallen to me—Except for the one on my back, which signifies taking out an entire enemy platoon single-handed."

"Or the one on your forehead," added the councilman, "from your clan's tribe. After the war was done, you were the last Keronian left wearing it, weren't you?"

Rokiki's fists clenched at mention of this. Rokiki looked worriedly at his friend, exchanging glances with Lupapa. The captain continued, doing everything to hold his composure, "….I don't see what losing my entire family has to do with anything here."

"It has much to do with our decision," replied t he council member. "Many people lost their family during that war. Some, their entire clans, like you…. They need a young hopeful now, like Shosa. You're to act as his second in command, and you're either to agree with this or resign your position from this team."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Rokiki snapped, and turned away from them. "You'll regret this mistake. And don't think of that as a threat… Think of it as the words of a seasoned soldier."

With that, Rokiki stormed out of the building. The council stood without another word, and began to exit; Mahihi and Lupapa went rushing out of the large room, and Fujuju looked about, feeling alienated once more in this group of strangers. Chunini turned to leave, and Kodada began to go after her, but turned back as she heard a loud THUD!.

Romama had fainted on the floor of the council room.

"We never should have done that, Kodada-san…" Romama said quietly as he adjusted the ice pack on his head and looked out at the town; they were away from any of the town's bustling activities, which now included cheering and shouting in the streets; some small carnivals were even beginning to set up.

Romama and Kodada, meanwhile, were beneath a large tree, Romama looking out darkly out at the happiness, while Kodada sat beside him.

"We'll do just fine on this," answered Kodada with a smile. "We'll be able to help out one another again, and we'll be together!"

"I guess so…" Romama muttered, and stood up. "My family's going to be expecting me at home…"

"Mine, too… And I want to visit Nee-chan. She's been acting weird," Kodada admitted as Romama helped her to stand. "I think something happened to her, but she won't say what…"

"Well, mine's the same as always… Proud of me to the point where I feel sick," Romama added, and Kodada smiled at him, and took hold of his hand.

"You're great, no one can say any different!" she exclaimed.

"…Thanks. And you are, too," Romama said, now relaxed and smiling a bit.

"Let it go… He'll bomb and you'll be in charge again. Just tell them you're getting married and you're under a lot of pressure!" Rokiki took another sip of his drink and allowed Mahihi to keep talking, all while remaining silent himself. "They'll put you back on; you're one of our best!"

"There's something going on, there's something more to this," Rokiki shook his head and stood. "And I'm going to find out. I oversaw the training of both of those children, there's no way they should have scored like they did."

Rokiki slid off of his stool and walked slowly out of the bar, like a wounded dog, and Mahihi was left alone at the bar.

The green Keronian watched the swinging door for a moment, then his eyes traveled overly to the darkly-dressed scientist Keronian, sitting by himself at the bar, a large book in front of him and a glass of milk beside the book.

"Hey! You're one of the other guys going!" Mahihi called out to him, and Fujuju shot his head up. "I'm Mahihi."

"Fujuju," answered the other Keronian, looking up from his book. "Aren't you going to go after your friend?..."  
"He's moody, it's nothing new," Mahihi answered nonchalantly. "What're you reading? Looks like a lot of pictures…"

"Theoretical physics… Interesting things, really!" Fujuju answered with a wide grin, flipping the book around for Mahihi to see the pages.

"…This really is a strange bunch," Mahihi said to himself, taking another sip of his drink.


	18. Romama Platoon: Team Assemble! Pt2

Okay, part two now :D This took some heavy editing, hehe... I'm fussy, what can I say? It turned into more of a matter of it was becoming too long too quickly ^_^'' In the end, I'm pretty happy with what I kept in, although I wish I could've focused a little more on their childhoods. Maybe for another time :)

I might do another one of these, like after the crash and how they each survived on Pekopon... Not sure if I'd have to do that individually or in a episode like this; if I did individual I'd run the risk of it being dull, if I did it all together I might have to cut out a lot more than I want, and I'd be constantly cutting back between Hawaii, England, Korea, Brazil, Russia, and Germany. Not something easily done.

Eh, I'll figure it out, just go with the flow :D Maybe do something more like the Christmas special... Ugh, I'll be quiet about this now. Please enjoy the chapter, sorry for my rambling ^_^'

Episode 9:  
Romama Platoon: Assemble! The Pekopon Research Team!  
Part 2

"A parade?! All for us?!" Kodada exclaimed as she was there the following morning, just having finished going through a practice run with the team, minus Rokiki. Lupapa was bandaging a wound she had received on accident, while Mahihi was reloading his gun.

"I hope I look all right for it!" Chunini giggled, adjusting her helmet by the buns on either side.

"Of course that's what matters most to you," Lupapa snorted.

"Don't think you have me pegged, Lupa-chan," Chunini winked. "There's more to me than you think."

"Don't call me "Lupa-chan"!" Lupapa snarled back.

"Shosa, you're needed by the council," a lower-position Keronian guard walked out onto the field, and Romama glanced over his shoulder to him and stood. "The rest of you feel free to spend your day however you wish."

"I'm going to go check on Rokiki," Lupapa announced.

"I know where he is, I'll take you to him," Mahihi added, leaving the group.

"Ah! I have to make a visit! You'll be all right, Koda-chan?" Chunini asked, and Kodada nodded, and watched as the other three now left her, leaving her alone with the mysterious scientist. He had taken a seat away from the group, and was still reading the same book he had the night before.

"Didn't you have somewhere to go, Fujuju-san?" asked Kodada, leaning down to meet his eyes.

"Hrm? No, I'm afraid not. Is there somewhere where you were planning to go, Kodada Nitohei?"

"I'm just going to go visit my parents, I think… I'm not sure if they're home, they both have jobs they can't get away from a lot… At least they'll be able to see the parade, that's what matters!"

"Well, don't let me hold you back, I'll remain here until everyone returns," Fujuju answered, and again took up his book.

"…Won't you be lonely?" Kodada asked after taking a few steps towards the direction of her home.

"It's something a scientist gets used to, my dear," he shut the book, looked up at her and smiled. "Our intelligence makes us… Different from others…. I'm sure you've heard stories… It seems everyone has."

"….Well, actually…. I heard that a lot of little kids that are really smart get put into programs, and don't get to see their families a lot."

"What they tell you is is that that "not a lot" is actually a "never"," Fujuju answered. "They don't want us… Distracted. I supposed that's why I'm not popular among them. I actually manage to find joy in things, including learning. That seems novel to them."

Kodada grinned and giggled a bit, "It's probably because you're nice…. You don't seem as creepy as all of the other scientists! Come on with me, we'll get something to eat!"

"I could actually cook something, if you wish," Fujuju replied as he stood and walked beside her. "After a small mishap I landed a stint on kitchen duty for half of a year…. I came to find cooking quite relaxing!"

"Wow, you cook? I can't even boil water!" Kodada exclaimed.

Rokiki clapped his hands twice as he knelt in front of the large stone wall, inscribed with names, and laid down the flowers he'd brought with him in front of it, "…Mother, Father…. Give me the strength not to snap that little brat's neck, I pray you give me at least that much."

He looked up at the smooth marble and saw his own reflection; his focus was on the tattoo in the middle of his forehead, however. He touched on it briefly, until he realized he wasn't alone, and over his shoulder were Mahihi and Lupapa's reflections.

He turned about, and gave a snort, "So, how was the walkthrough?"

"The kid's got a lot of talent, but he's no you. It's a wonder he passed the written portion of the tests," Mahihi snorted, folding his arms. "It didn't look like he knew what the hell he was doing, half the time!"

"I noticed they already started taking my name off of everything relating to the mission," Rokiki added bitterly, glancing back towards the wall. "At least you two can have a good time…"

"We want you to see if they'll put you back on," Lupapa took a seat on the ground next to him and took hold of his hand. "It doesn't matter what position you are, you're still the better soldier, and we all know it."

"What matters is that job was supposed to be mine," Rokiki answered. "…I'm sorry, I just…"

"I'm sorry I got your hopes up, Rokiki," Mahihi said with a sigh. "This is my fault…. I'll leave you two be for a while, I'm going to go visit my parents."

"Give them my regards," Rokiki called out to him, and Mahihi nodded, then left through the forest that surrounded the structure.

Lupapa looked up at the stone, and caught sight of two names, right beside one another, and not far from the names of Rokiki's parents, "….I wonder if any of my brothers and sisters visit this place… Or even know about it."

"I'm sure they do," Rokiki answered, and leaned across her, removing the covering the covered the one blind eye, revealing a much lighter green one, pupil-less and misty. "There's no scarring…"

"I still don't like looking at it," she muttered, turning her head away from him.

"….It haunts me every day knowing I did that to you," Rokiki admitted.

"You just thought I was some punk thief, you didn't know any better," Lupapa answered. "You were doing your job; you shouldn't feel bad about it… Rokiki. You should still go on that trip. I want you there."

"…I'll do it for you and Mahihi," Rokiki answered after a long pause for thought. "And so I can make that little idiot pay for—"

"Rokiki!"

"Right, right. I'm going. Heh, less than a week as my fiancée and you're already starting to boss me around," Rokiki said to himself with a shake of the head, and he walked off, leaving Lupapa by herself. The purple thief Keronian looked up at the names again, and then stood.

"…I should look once… For myself…" she said to herself.

"Open… Open… Please open…" Chunini begged as she knocked on the door once more. "Eriri-sensei?! Are you there?! Please open! I'm sorry about last night! I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the mission, it was just so quick!"

"Chunini," she stopped knocking at the sound of the stern, gruff voice behind her. "I thought you'd be at this deviant's home… One of my men spotted you going in this direction."

"Old Man, I told you I'm not part of your family anymore. If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who kicked me out," Chunini said coldly, not turning around to face the yellow male Keronian, who wore a symbol identical to Kodada's, and dressed in the outfit of a high-ranking soldier. "Did get enough yelling in yet?"

"I came to congratulate you on starting to turn your life around… I guess some habits die hard, though," he snapped, and Chunini flinched, and now turned around to face him, her angry orange eyes meeting his cold golden ones.

"I care about someone you don't like, and you couldn't accept that," Chunini snapped. "I found a career, and someone who cared about me, too, but you didn't like the thought of either of those things."

"So you call that a career? Did you really want to embarrass all of us that much?" he replied in the same tone. "…I didn't even tell your mother the worst of it."

"Go home and tell her then, Old Man," she answered, turning back to the door. "I won't change for you. If you don't want to accept me, it's your business at this point."

"….I'm only sorry that we had to go through you to get to your sister," he said bitterly, and left her at the front porch. "I'll see you at the parade."

At this time the door cracked open, and Chunini, head hung, looked up, meeting with the sympathetic smile of the Keronian in front of her.

"It scares me that he knows where I live. Hehe, he's no worse than you, I guess. He's all bark and bite, isn't he?" laughed the Keronian. "Eh? What's wrong, Chu-chan? I'm sorry I yelled at you last night, I just didn't want to think my star pupil was leaving so soon! Come inside, you look upset…"

"Thank you, Eriri-sensei," Chunini said quietly as the slightly older Keronian led her into the apartment, shutting the door behind them.

"Have you told your sister that you know?" Fujuju asked as he finished the stir fry, placing some on either of the plates he'd set out.

"No…" Kodada said quietly. "I keep hoping she'll bring it up, I'll still accept her! I don't care, I just want my old Nee-chan back!"

"Well, unfortunately sometimes people just change," Fujuju answered, and smiled at the worried girl, "But that doesn't mean she doesn't care for you any less! She's still your sister, deep down. Maybe this trip's a chance to reconnect. Now, let's eat up!"

"It looks delicious! Eh?" both looked up as there was a knock on the door, and Kodada hopped over to it, opening the door and smiling as she saw it was Romama.

"You're just in time! One of our teammates is making lunch!" Kodada exclaimed happily, and Romama tried his best to smile, but was in a noticeably dark mood as he walked into the home.

"I had a feeling we'd have at least one person drop by," Fujuju set a plate down for Romama, and the teal Keronian looked down at the plate, only picking at the food.

"Fujuju Soucho, would you mind…." Kodada trailed off as she looked at Romama with worry.

Fujuju nodded, and took up the black gloves he'd set aside while cooking, and left for the living room.

"He's so sweet! He'll be great to have with us!" Kodada said cheerfully as she took a bite of her food.

"I'm going to try to have Rokiki made captain," Romama said to her quietly. "I don't deserve it, Kodada-chan… I still feel sick that I made him hate me…"

"Romama-kun… You're going to tell them everything?"

"I… I can't do that. It was my idea, to begin with. If I say anything, I ruin it for you," Romama replied.

"Romama-kun will make the right decision, I know it. No matter what you choose, what matters is we're together!" Kodada said cheerily. "Fujuju-san? It's okay if you come back in!" she called, and on queue the scientist walked back in, still eating from his plate.

"Again I appear to be third wheel. My apologies," Fujuju said with a good-natured grin. "Really, I should be heading out now. I've got to pack a few things yet. Thank you for the opportunity."

"Huh?" Kodada blinked as the scientist set down his plate.

"For what?" asked Romama.

"Not judging me right away," Fujuju answered with a grin, and turned and walked out of the kitchen.

"Hrm?" Mahihi perked up as walking down the opposite side of the street there was a Keronian woman, a bit pudgier than the others she walked with. As he whistled at her, this was met with a slap to the face. Mahihi gave an embarrassed chuckle, then rubbed the red mark on his face.

"So much for going to see your parents!" Rokiki called out as he saw this from further down the sidewalk, and Mahihi gave another embarrassed look at being caught. Rokiki looked back at the group of Keronians, then to Rokiki, "Is there something I should know about you?"

"Nothing you'll want an answer to. Mama wants you to dress warm—She thinks you're too thin and you'll get cold easy."

"She's always thought that," Rokiki muttered as he joined Mahihi's side.

"We can't help it that you always needed a stool for family photos, you were so much tinier!" Mahihi nudged him and laughed. "They kept hoping you would get taller, haha!"

"…I'm going down to the council…"

"Hey! So you are coming along, that's great!"

"I suppose that's a word for it…" Rokiki stopped in front of the council building they were walking past, and sighed. "…I need to go check on something, just to settle my mind."

"You're obsessing," Mahihi sighed.

"I'm not… I just… This, and then I'll ask the council. I have one of those gut feelings of mine."

"You're probably just hungry. Hurry up with whatever it is, we don't have a lot of time," Mahihi said, and Rokiki turned around, rushing into the building and hurrying along until he found the records room.

"I'd like the recordings from the testing sessions for these students," he said to the clerk at the desk, writing the numbers on a piece of paper and passing it to him.

"Of course, Rokiki Tai... My, it's been a while since you were here! About a year, right?" exclaimed the clerk. "These should do it! Anything else?"

"Just a place to watch them," Rokiki answered, and the clerk pointed to a wall of doors. Moments after Rokiki headed towards the doors, another Keronian walked in.

"Hey! You're with the Pekopon Research Team, too, aren't you?! Boy, my kid has a poster of you on his wall! You're one of his favorites, along with that little orange one, the pilot!" the Keronian said with a laugh.

"….That's nice," Lupapa deadpanned. "I know only higher ranking officers have access to the files I need, but my fiance's—"

"Oh, I'm sure we can make an exception here," the clerk winked and whispered. "You guys are heroes already! Just tell me what you need and it's yours! Hehe, plus I'm sure with your skills you could've taken it yourself, so I appreciate you asking me!"

"I… I need the files the case from when I was taken into custody…" she said quietly, and the clerk began to type away at his computer.

"Hey, what do you know! They weren't looked at too long ago!"

"What!? Who else looked at them?" she asked, and urgency suddenly in her voice.

"Let's see... Well, I can't give out names, but it was a captain," he answered, and handed her a printout he had made. "This should answer everything for you! Did you need anything else?"

"I'll let you know," she answered, immersed in reading as she exited the records department. She flipped a page on it, and gave a gasp; she stood there, shaking in anger, as she read over the words again and again.

Meanwhile, Rokiki was fast-fowarding through the first disk he'd been given, this one Romama's class's test. It was depressing; so far nothing, and he sat there, tapping his fingers on the table as he watched the screen.

The passing thought that he could be wrong came to his head, but he quickly dismissed it out loud, "No… There's just no way I could be mistaken… My gut's never been wrong, I—What?"

Romama looked up at the camera for a moment, long enough for Rokiki to stop the disk and get a clear image of the student; his eyes were different… He'd been looking down at the ground, so it was hard to tell, but the moment they fully opened, he looked like someone completely different.

Rokiki quickly switched the tapes, and watched Kodada's test inside the pilot's cockpit. There it was again; for a few seconds Kodada had removed the goggles that had covered her eyes, revealing it wasn't her, but Romama.

"They… They switched places…" Rokiki muttered, his eyes going wide. He pulled the disk out of the player, and ran out with both, knocking the clerk out of the way in the process. "I KNEW it!" he yelled as he ran out.

He came to a dead stop in the hall, where Lupapa stood, her one visible eye narrowed at him. It took him a moment, then he looked at what was shaking in her hand; he read off the case numbers clearly.

"L-Lupapa! How… How did you get…"

"You found my siblings… A year ago… And didn't tell me…." she said evenly, clearly trying to hide the rage building in her. "Why didn't… You tell me…."

"I… I was going to, they're just… On the other side of Keron, it would have meant a transfer!" Rokiki replied. "I was going to wait… And bring them all over to this side of the planet, as a surprise! Look what I found here, it shows that little jerk, he—"

"I don't care," Lupapa said sharply. "This mission's paying well, well enough for me to take care of all of them. After this mission, Rokiki…. I don't want to see you."

"…What? Lupapa, I—OW!" he yelped as she threw the ring at his face, full force, and turned away from him. "L-Let me explain!"

"There's nothing to explain!" she shouted back, and then left him there. Romama, who was exiting the council's main lobby, made sure to dodge into a corner as Rokiki gave a growl and stormed into the same lobby he had come out of.

"You mean… They wouldn't let you out of it?!" Kodada gasped, and Romama sighed, looking down at the ground.

"They said it would make them look like idiots at this point, and they'd have me thrown in jail if I said anything about it," Romama answered.

"There's a reason for all of this…" Kodada held out her hand and placed it on top of Romama's. "You'll prove you're a great soldier, Roma-kun! I know it…"

"Kodada-chan…."

"Hey, you're going to miss your own parade!" Chunini joined them at the fountain, the smile back on her face. "I already picked up Lupa-chan along the way! Boy, what's with all of the down faces today!? First her, now you two!"

"What's with your cheeriness?" Lupapa answered in a snap.

"Ah, trouble with the boyfriend, Lupa-chan?"

"I hate fakes like you," Lupapa spat at Chunini, and Romama stood up at this point.

"Both of you; stop it," he said to them, sounding as authoritative as possible.

"Everyone's probably just stressed out because we're leaving so soon!" Kodada added, stepping in between the two women.

"I feel sick again…" Romama muttered, looking away from the three.

"Chu-chan! You forgot something!" up came running another woman, and Lupapa tilted her head to a side. Kodada noted, too, that Chunini looked as though she'd switched back to regular Chunini for a few moments.

The Keronian was light, light pink, with a dark green helmet that included a single bun on the back and cat ears, as well as a double-star symbol. Her eyes were large and almond-shaped, and dark green.

"E-Eriri-sensei!" Chunini exclaimed in surprise. "I thought… You didn't like coming to this part of town."

"I don't, but I came for my favorite student… Also… To bring you this… Hehe, I'm not in shape like I was when I was younger!" she chuckled, and held out a bag to her while catching her breath. "It's all of your recordings! You couldn't leave without them! A few of mine, too, since you liked them so much..."

Lupapa looked stunned, as did Romama. The Major looked over Kodada, who chuckled and shrugged.

"Oh… My…" Lupapa mumbled as Chunini gave a blush and a grin and pulled out the CD's from the bag. "You're—"

"My sister is my sister!" Kodada exclaimed. "Eh? Lupapa Goucho, where's that pretty ring you were wearing?"

"Lodged in some fool's face, with any luck," Lupapa muttered. "I don't want to talk to him, and I don't want any friends here. I just want to go and get paid. Let's make it clear I have my own reasons for hating each of you."

"Urk!" Kodada yelped, and heard a panting noise from behind her.

"…Looks like it's going to be a long trip for you, Chu-chan," Eriri said with a good-natured and easy going chuckle.

"Luckily for me, they'd already packed my things and left them in front of the dormitory when I'd arrived!" Fujuju said happily as he stopped beside Lupapa, and patted her on the shoulder. "Ah, I'm sure we'll all be good friends by the end of this trip!"

Lupapa returned this with a glare, and Fujuju yelped, quickly removing his hand from her shoulder.

"Oh, Fujuju-san…" Kodada sighed, putting a hand on her forehead.

"I need to get going, see you at the parade, Chu-chan! Enjoy the CD's!" Eriri gave a thumbs up to her protégé, and Chunini returned this with a smile.

"We should probably get towards the parade, too…" Romama looked up at the sun, which was higher up in the sky now.

"I hear they're going to have fireworks!" Kodada added cheerfully.

"Fireworks? Oh, dear…" Fujuju muttered, stopping a moment, and then hesitantly followed the group.

"You mean you KNEW?!" Rokiki seethed at the council. Mahihi, who stood directly outside the doors, gave a jump at this; Rokiki's yelling had made the rock of the structure shake, and a chandelier directly overhead had started rocking back and forth ever-so-slightly. "Why didn't you do something about it, then?!"

"It's above your understanding, Rokiki Tai," the council leader replied calmly, while Rokiki grit his teeth and clenched his fists. "Our decision is the final one. Romama Shosa has already been chosen, and regardless of these findings, he is still in charge of the mission."

"Because you idiots don't want to admit you screw something up! You already messed up with that war, and you don't have anyone's faith anymore! You're saving your own asses!"

"…If you're so convinced Romama Shosa won't do a good job, you can serve as his second in command… At this point it's that or you end up with a court martial."

"You'll throw me in jail!?"

"If that's what it takes…. Worse if you keep up with this. Rokiki Tai, there's a parade beginning soon, we expect to see you there. And hopefully you'll see everyone watching you, and see how hopeful they are… Do you really want to take that from everyone?"

Rokiki answered with silence, and the council member continued, "…I think it'd be best if you went now, Rokiki Tai, before we're not in such a good mood…"

"I'd hate to see them in a bad one," Mahihi snorted, and barely dodged out of the way as Rokiki slammed open the door. "Looks like Mama was right and we should've gone and run the family store, huh?" Mahihi laughed. "She always said you'd be good with keeping the books."

"Shut up," Rokiki snapped. "…I worked my whole life for an opportunity like this, and now… I get to play second fiddle for some cheating bastard."

"But you've still got friends at the end of the day."

"That isn't enough!" Rokiki shot back.

"When will it be?" Mahihi asked quietly. "What's enough to you, Rokiki?"

"….We have a stupid parade to get to, aren't you coming?"

"…Looks like we don't have a choice at this point," Mahihi sighed. "Rokiki… I'm telling you as your brother, just… Let this go. It'll eat you alive if you don't."

"…I'm sure I'll be better after all of this," Rokiki said, his voice relaxing a bit. "When we can get home, and I can make things right again…"

"…You aren't a bad kid, you know that?" Mahihi patted Rokiki on the head and laughed, but the tall green Keronian couldn't help but see a change in his friend. It was worrisome.

They had finally gathered together in a group, just in time for pictures. The group photo was noticeable in that there was barely a happy face in it.

Then the parade started, and they walked together as a group, looking out at the group. Rokiki looked out at the faces as they passed; they were happy ones.

"Are you quite all right?" asked Fujuju quietly to him.

"We'll see how I am when we land on that rock," Rokiki answered, and continued to march along with the others.


	19. Keroro: A Visit from a General! Pt1

Episode 10:  
Keroro: A Visit from a General! Operation "Think of Something Quick"!  
Part 1

"Gero? Natsumi-dono, where's the paper?" Keroro asked, a pair of pliers in his hand.

"It hasn't come today, I have to call the paper company," Natsumi sighed.

"What? What about yesterday's?!"

"You used it already for your stupid Gunpla."

"B-But what am I supposed to work on?!"

"I don't know! Just… Find something! I'm sure you have something somewhere you can use!" she grumbled, and picked up the living room phone. "I'm going to call the paper—And don't use any of my magazines!"

Keroro flinched; he'd already gotten halfway up the stairs to her room. He backtracked down to his own room, grumbling all along the way.

"Paper… Paper… I must have something!" he muttered as he began to search through every drawer, looking for any scrap paper. "OH! This'll do it!" he exclaimed happily as he came across a pile of old mail, and he hummed to himself as he began to take out the paper from the envelopes, then smoothed them down on the floor. He then took a seat on them, and cheerfully he opened his fresh box of Gunpla.

"Ah, excellent! Not too hard a model, not too easy… Perfect for a leisurely Saturday afternoon!"

He resumed his cheery humming, stopping to pick up another, smaller set of pliers, and his eye caught something; the sheet of paper it was laying on was the only one with large, red letters. The green sergeant furrowed his brow, and picked up the paper. He slowly paled and began to shake as he read over the lines again and again.

"I…. Why didn't I look over this before? My carelessness has again put us up the proverbial creek without a paddle…. KU-KURURU SOUCHO! Sound the alarm!"

"I will get the concept of bookkeeping through the thick skull and half a brain you two share if it kills me in the process!" Rokiki shouted as he marched back and forth in front of Haruki and Kirere; both were seated, kneeling in front of him, and looking at the ground.

"We'll do better," Kirere said quietly.

"Please don't hurt us," Haruki added, shutting his eyes tightly.

Rokiki lifted up the binder, and both cringed, "You're to both write the orders in—PROPERLY! No drawings, no secret languages! And both of you work on your penmanship! It's disgusting!"

"Huh?" Kirere was drawn out of this lecture by her cell phone suddenly ringing, and she glanced down at the number; "…Dad? What?! I… I can be right there! I have to go, there's an emergency meeting."

"Very well. You're excused. You, on the other hand, Suzumaya!"

"Urk! Please show mercy!" Haruki yelled as Kirere ran out of the garage, and there was the distinct sound of Rokiki's binder meeting with the back of the mechanic's head moments later.

"Hey, Kiichi!" Tamama called out, and sped up his own saucer to catch up with her bike. "You got Gunso-san's message, too?!"

"Yeah, it sounds like trouble!" Kirere answered, and sped up her bike. Tamama followed this by speeding up on his saucer, and soon both were at headquarters.

"A-And so, we're going to try a little bit of a different exercise…" Keroro was noticeably uneasy as he stood in front of the group, who were gathered at their usual desks. This wasn't going without notice; Giroro looked the most annoyed out of the bunch, his arms folded as Keroro spoke.

"Everyone's going to write an invasion idea on a slip of paper, and we'll pick the best out of the bunch!" Keroro explained, pulling a top hat from beneath the podium. He looked away, and shut his eyes, "Please, someone have a good idea…"

The puzzled platoon each then did this, Mois walking around with the hat and allowing them to deposit the paper slips in the paper.

"All right, let's see what we have! ….Invasion through making the most delicious snack cakes ever…."

"That one's mine, Gunso-san!" Tamaa exclaimed cheerfully, raising his hand.

"….Invade through…. Ku ku ku…." Keroro muttered, trailing off as he read this.

"Kuuuukuku!"

"Invasion through finding alternative fuel sources," Keroro continued.

"Pekopon currently still relies on harmful fossil fuels, Teicho-dono!" Dororo explained. "If we find some alternative, better fuel source, then we'll have an effective invasion strategy, as well as a healthier planet!"

"Dororo…. When did you get here?"

"EH?!"

"…Next is… Invade through making a cartoon and… Didn't we do this one already?"

"It was a few seasons before me, sorry," Kirere giggled, scratching the back of her head.

"It was a good try, Kirere," Giroro said encouragingly to his daughter.

"Finally… Invade through use of extreme force. Leave no stone unturned, shoot first, ask questions later…"

"It's the only truly effective way!" Giroro barked.

Keroro gave a long moan, and slammed his head on the podium surface; he was weeping, everyone realized after a moment, "Gero…No one here has a single good idea… We've managed to go and do it yet again…"

"What are you blubbering about?" Giroro snapped, and Keroro held up the same piece of paper he had found before, the one with the large red lettering. Giroro stood, took it, and read it over. The corporal then gave a yell of horror, and everyone gathered around him, their faces turning to looks of horror as they, too, read over the words.

THIS IS A NOTICE OF AN OFFICIAL VISIT FROM THIRD-PARTY MILITARY GENERAL TO GAUGE THE PROGRESS OF THE PEKOPON INVASION AND INCREASE TRUST-RELATIONS WITHIN NEIGHBORING PLANET. REPORT WILL DECIDE FUNDING AND CONTINUATION OF INVASION, IF ANY. VISIT TO COMMENCE JUNE 1-, 20—

"It's from headquarters, I completely overlooked it…" Keroro sniffed. "It must've gotten in with the junk mail, somehow…"

"You fool! This could put us all at risk of another paycut, or even worse! Do you know how much it costs to raise a child?! It's bad enough Kururu charges ME for her to be tutored!"

"Kukuku, have you tried explaining Japanese to her?"

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry!" Keroro wept.

"We have to think of something…" Giroro sighed, setting the paper down on his desk and then studying it.

"….I've got nothing," Tamama muttered, and the others gave a moan of agreement, and all turned to go their separate ways.

"Wait!" Keroro yelped. "Surely we can think of something! As many of us as there are, there has to be one idea we can come up with!"

"Ouch!" Giroro gave a yell as Keroro pulled out another barb from his arm, and Keroro gave a yelp as Kururu now pulled one from the back of the sergeant's head.

"So… Maybe a giant cactus monster wasn't the best plan of action…" Keroro muttered, and flinched again as another one was pulled from the back of his head.

Most of Kirere's had been pulled out, and now she was working on pulling them out of her gloves. Tamama was sniffing as he applied alcohol to the wounds; the two youngest and Dororo had taken the least amount of damage.

"At least cactus is edible, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled.

"I wonder if giving some to Ojiisama would go against his vegetarian principles…" Keroro thought to himself.

"We only have until tomorrow to think of something, and yet again you're wasting time!" Giroro snapped. "Why not call Urere if you're stuck?!"

"That's just it… I can't."

"What?! Why not?!"

"Because there's the matter of our last invoice from him, and its deliquency…" Keroro answered quietly.

"Idiot!" Giroro snapped.

"I know… Boy do I know…" Keroro sighed. "At least I have the support of my faithful troops, right?! And all that matters in the end is love!"

This was meant with silence, and quiet, confused looks to one another; Keroro's shoulders slumped, "You, you mean you have no faith in me at all?"

"You don't think they'd call us back to Keron, do you?" Kirere asked, and Keroro gave a yelp at this, the little girl's sad look, and the group's silence that continued, made his heart sink.

"…I… I'll fix this!" Keroro reassured them. "Just… Just give me a little more time, we'll figure out something! There… There must be someone we could ask aide from! …Gero?... Wait! I think I just might have it!"

"It's nothing pointy, is it?" Kirere asked, and Keroro's smile only grew, and his "gero gero gero" continued to spread through the room.

"…This calls for a resonance, men! I think I could have the answer to our problems! GEROGEROGEROGEROGEROGEROGERO…"

"TAMATAMATAMATAMATAMATAMATAMATAMA…."

"GIROGIROGIROGIROGIROGIROGIROGIROGIROGIRO…"

"KURUKURUKURUKURUKURUKURUKURUKURUKURU…"

"DORODORODORODORODORODORODORODORODORO…"

"KIREKIREKIREKIREKIREKIREKIREKIREKIREKIREKIRE…"

"What… What is this? It's leaking…" Romama muttered, lifting up the soggy bag and examining it. "And there're spikes coming out of it…"

"Cactus fruit! Freshly killed for Ojiisama!"

"Freshly what?"

"Cut! Freshly cut!" replied Keroro, and the rest of the platoon, gathered behind their green sergeant in the dance studio, nodded in agreement. "Just a token gift for my very giving and hardworking relative!"

"…Why are all of you here?" Romama asked, setting down the bag on the ground.

"We were in the neighborhood," Keroro replied.

"All at once?"

"A… Field trip, if you would," Keroro said; again there came another nod.

"I have another class soon. What do you want?" Romama sighed.

"We… Were just posing a hypothetical… Such as… If you'd been sent out on a mission to… I'm not sure… Take over, Pekopon? How would Ojiisama in all of his infinite wisdom carry it out?"

"Take it over?"

"Just… Hypothetically speaking," Keroro repeated. Romama looked out at the intent faces, and sputtered a bit, having been put on the spot.

"I… I guess I'd… Try to become president…"

"President?" Keroro tilted his head to the side. "Like… The one in the U.S.?"

"Mm, he's on the radio all of the time, so there's got to be a reason everyone listens to him."

"…That's a good one to store away for the next election! But what would you do if you had… Twelve hours to come up with something?"

"…Wait… You screwed it up for yourself again, didn't you? Forget it, fix your own problem," Romama grumbled, turning back around to his gathering students.

"But… Relatives are supposed to help out others in their time of need!" Keroro cried out.

"You'll never learn anything if you don't do it for yourself!" Keroro flinched at this, and Romama had his back turned to them now, signaling he was finished talking to them.

"Maybe we should get packing, kukuku!"

"No! There has to be something we could think of!" Keroro clenched his fists. "We just need inspiration! I say we hold a marathon of inspiring films, to get our blood pumping!"

"There's no time for that!" Giroro barked. "We need to think of something by the end of the day!"

"No one happened to get that Time Bender's number, did they? Maybe she could do us the favor of turning time back a little…"

"We have no way to get in touch with her; plus I think she hates us," Giroro answered.

"What Time Bender?" asked Kirere; at this, all the platoon men aside from Kururu gave nervous, uncomfortable laughs.

"We should see if there's someone else who could help us," Dororo said, and the others nodded, leaving Kirere there alone.

"What Time Bender?!" she shouted, rushing after them.

They'd taken a juice break; another two hours had passed, and they had returned home. They were all in the living room, a noticeable aura of gloom around the entire group.

"Could you say, a great effort?" Mois chimed in as she sat beside the crestfallen Keroro on the couch.

"We… We'll still visit here, don't worry," Giroro reassured Kirere. The little girl said nothing, only looked ahead at the floor, her juice box in her hands.

"...Nee-chan, did something bad happen?" asked Fuyuki as he walked into the kitchen and looked in at the group with Natsumi, who was preparing dinner.

"I don't know, they're all acting like someone died!" Natsumi whispered. "When I said I wanted them quiet I didn't mean like that!"

"Hrm?" Fuyuki looked up at the door as there was a banging from it, and all of the aliens looked up in panic.

"I came to return your books, and—Who died?" Chandi blinked as she handed off the books to Fuyuki, Mora floating at her side.

"They're just depressed for some reason…" Fuyuki answered, looking over his shoulder at the group. Mora floated around them, looking at each sullen face as she did.

"We can't think of a single thing… And Ojiisama is no help…" Keroro sniffed. "Invade a whole planet by tomorrow…"

"Invade the… Is that what you're all doing here?" Mora asked.

"…Yes, what did Mora-dono think our goal was?" asked Keroro.

"I… I'm not sure, actually," Mora admitted, putting her hands together and looking sheepishly down at them. "I… Just haven't seen you all do a lot of that around here… I'm sorry… So, you're stuck for an idea? I really wish I could be a little more help! Now, if one of you boys was looking for a nice girlfriend…"

"Brrr… Mora, I told you I should've brought my jacket, they keep it too cold!" Chandi called out to the Maronian, who turned around and gave an apologetic smile.

"I don't see how anyone could be cold in here; I was actually thinking it was a little warm!" Natsumi said, washing her hands in the kitchen sink.

"Well, we did live in mainly warm climates for a long while… Just think of it this way, Chandi, Australia's having their winter right now!"

"It's still warmer than in here!" Chandi griped quietly.

"Then take off your scarf, dear—She's just—Oh?"

Keroro had a smile on his face; a wide one, that went past the white on his chin and into the green on his face. His eyes were wide, and his resonance started once more, coming out as a scheming laugh.

"I think you just helped him out, Mora-san!" Kirere exclaimed.

"More than that!" Keroro hopped up onto the couch and grinned. "Keroro Platoon, emergency assemble!"

"I'm getting paid for this freelance work, right?" Haruki called out from high up on his scaffold, and Keroro turned about, giving him a thumbs up.

"Of course, Haruki-dono!" Keroro said with a toothy grin. "And perhaps even holiday time, if this creation means a prolonged stay here!"

"Haruki, you could be working on a bomb that could blow up the whole place, you know that?" Haruki sighed to himself as he used the flint to set off the welder, and then went back to welding together two pieces of sheet metal on the side of the towering metallic machine, four stories in height.

"Ugh… Where… Did you want this….?" Giroro was shaking from the extreme weight of the metal scrap he carried on his back.

"Over there, Giroro Goucho!" Keroro pointed, and Giroro began the slow trek over to the spot his superior had pointed out. "No, wait… Over there!"

Giroro responded to this in a frustrated yell, while Kirere rushed past with a circular, fan-like machine. "Tama-nii-chan, you coming?!"

Tamama was also carrying a heavy weight, struggling along the way, "Little… Runt… Thinks she's high and mighty because we're working on her specialty…."

"Kururu Soucho, give me the read out!" Keroro pivoted over to the yellow scientist, who was typing away on his computer.

"Chance of this actually working is at forty-percent, Teicho."

"A number I can live with!" Keroro said cheerfully. "Now let's speed it up, men! There's not much time left!"

"Eh, Teicho-dono?" Dororo approached his superior, one hand raised weakly. "…I don't think I can allow you to go through with this… This goes against many of my own principles as a ninja!"

"Kuku, you better get down there, sounds like he needs you," said Kururu, turning to Kirere. She sighed, set down her wrench, and walked over to stand beside Keroro.

"Please help us, Dororo? …Please? I don't want to leave all of my friends…." she begged, her eyes wide and pleading. Dororo took a step back, but couldn't escape her look.

"As… As long as things go back to normal afterward!" Dororo said shakily, and went to join the others at the machine.

"Great job, Kirere-chan!" Keroro praised the girl, who looked drained from this.

"I feel so wrong…" Kirere muttered wearily, and went back to her work in the machine.

"What're they building, anyway? Oh! Is it some kind of machine to get in touch with their planet?" Chandi asked excitedly as she watched with the Hinata children in the distance.

"I have no clue, honestly, but I'm keeping a close eye on them," Natsumi answered. "They always end up doing this…."

"Boys! I brought some help!" Mora floated in, and now beneath her there were two additional Keronians; Rokiki and Romama, neither looking particularly pleased with one another's presence.

"Ah, much appreciated, Mora-dono!" Keroro chirped.

"I may or may not drop something on you," Rokiki said quietly.

"Are you sure you're strong enough for that, Old Man?" Romama answered in a hiss.

"Gunso, what's this machine do, anyway?" Fuyuki asked while Tamama directed Romama and Rokiki to areas of work.

"Hopefully win me a Nobel Peace Prize, gero gero gero… Or at least keep us from another pay cut… Or worse," Keroro muttered. "It's a surprise, Fuyuki-dono!"

"It's nothing that's really going to hurt anyone or take over the world yet, right?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Good," Fuyuki gave a smile that shot through Keroro's conscience like needles. "I knew I could trust you, Gunso!"

"…Ehehe…. Of course you can," Keroro said, his mouth now twitching and the Keronian sergeant breaking quickly into a panicked sweat. As soon as Fuyuki walked back to the other Pekoponians, Keroro took up the blueprints and rushed over to Kururu and Kirere. "Kururu Soucho! There's a few adjustments that need to be made…"

"Ojiisama!" the doors slid open, and Mois rushed in, a printout in her hands. "The General's on his way!"

"What?! How much time do we have?!" Keroro asked in a panic.

"…According to this… Ten hours," Mois answered, glancing at her watch and looking back up at Keroro.

"What… What are our chances of finishing up before then?" asked Keroro.

"About twenty-seven percent, with this workforce, and if we work through the night, kukuku!" Kururu called out.

"…Those are figures I have to work with…" Keroro muttered, turning around and looking at his platoon. He gave a start as he heard the sound of clanging metal, and looked up; Chandi and Mora had joined in building the machine.

"Chandi-san, I think we should call an emergency meeting of the Occult Club!" Fuyuki called out to her, and she smiled.

"Exactly what I was thinking!" she answered.

"I think you should call an emergency meeting yourself, Teicho," Rokiki said quietly to a surprised Romama. Romama gave a weak smile of realization, and nodded, pushing on the wagon wheel symbol on his forehead.

"I… I'll go get drinks for everyone!" Mora called out, flying out of the work area.

"Everyone's…" Keroro had begun to tear up at the beautiful sight, and looked up at the opened dome above; Koyuki had just hopped into the work area, and right onto Haruki's scaffold.

"Woah!" he gave a yelp of surprise as the ninja landed next to him. "…I'll never get used to ninjas…"

"…I don't know what you're doing, but things better be back to normal the second this guy leaves," Natsumi sighed, and Keroro whipped his head over to her; the protector of the Earth had taken up a heavy, alien power tool, and Keroro's smile grew.

"Nat… Natsumi-dono trusts me, too?!"

"Not really, but… I have to keep a close eye on you somehow," Natsumi answered with a sigh. "Now where do you want me?"

"Ah, you'll have to go to your supervisor for that, Natsumi-dono!"

"My supervisor?" Natsumi asked aloud, and Keroro pointed over to a waving Kirere. "…You're joking, right?"

"Come on, Natsumi-san! Need to run a diagnostic check on this side!" Kirere chirped.

"You need to run a what?" Natsumi repeated, following the young girl.


	20. Keroro: A Visit from a General! Pt2

Episode 10:  
Keroro: A Visit from a General! Operation "Think of Something Quick"!  
Part 2

Finally done editing…. I am so dog tired. You can't begin to imagine it…. It's four in the morning as I type this… I thank God for DDR music, it's what's keeping me awake.

Well, anyway, please enjoy as always ^_^ This is J. Lucy, saying…. It's my naptime.

"Here, lemon squares for everyone!" Mora said as she floated back in, a tray full of the yellow treats. She wasn't alone, though; flanking her was Fujuju, still in work gloves and with goggles on top of his helmet, as well as a borrowed apron. "…Hehe, you're not as bad as I thought, Fujuju-san! Where did you get this recipe, anyway?"

"…Well, there was a time I was away for six months in which I took up cooking," he explained as he took a tray and began to walk around to the Keronians and Pekoponians that worked on the device.

"Oh, really? A sabbatical?"

"We had him institutionalized against his will, he burnt down a barrack," Rokiki grunted, and Mora's eyes widened with surprise. "Are you going to get back to work and stop cooking like a woman, Fujuju, or are you afraid you'll get a smudge on your dress?"

"It's an apron and it's practical," Fujuju answered flatly.

Mahihi looked up from the bottom of the machine, and Rokiki snorted, "Of course you'd raise you head to the thought of food."

"You're not so thin anymore yourself, either," Mahihi returned.

"I said I needed 3/8's, Ojiisan!" Kirere called out, and Keroro looked up at the young girl, who now stood on her own scaffold, and Keroro nodded, looking through the large spread of tools for the right one.

"Urm… This looks about right… Here, Kirere-chan!" Keroro called out, and Koyuki intercepted midair, landing on the scaffold and passing it to the girl.

"Chandi, don't strain yourself!" Mora cried out as she saw her daughter attempting to lift up a heavy piece of machinery. It wasn't long before Chandi felt the weight lifted off, and looked to her left; there was Momoka, with a determined grin as she held onto the large metal tube.

"Kururu Soucho, what are our percentage odds now?!" Keroro asked, rushing over to the scientist. Kururu was also under the large machine, smudged with the oil from it. He rolled out from underneath it, and typed away on the laptop.

"Eighty-six percent," Kururu answered, and Keroro gave a puff of air, then nodded.

"….It'll be close," he said to himself.

"Can you use these pieces?" Lupapa grunted as she set down her heavy backpack, and Haruki braced himself, surprised by the new weight on the scaffold.

"Wow, how did you get this much copper?!"

"….I have my ways," she answered cryptically, looking away. "I better go help…" Haruki only raised an eyebrow as she hopped away, and removed one of the metal pieces from the backpack.

"Hey! This is from my bike!" he exclaimed as it dawned on him where he had seen the particular piece before.

"…Hey, what's your name?" Oliver leaned against the machine, and Chandi turned her head to him. He was trying his best cool and confident face on her as he stood there, and from her expression, it was clear it wasn't working.

"There's oil on that piece, you idiot," Chandi answered, and Oliver gave a yelp, and backed away from it; sure enough, his shirt sleeve was covered from shoulder to wrist in black.

"Come on, you," Maggie took her brother by the ear and drug him away from the Indian girl and Momoka. "Sorry about my brother, I forgot his leash. He's harmless, I swear."

"Urk! Just because you're five minutes older you think you're in charge!" Oliver grumbled. "You're hurting!"

"Good, that means you're learning," Maggie answered.

"Ojiisama, they're two hours away!" Mois shouted, rushing in with another printout. Keroro looked nervously up at the large machine, which was starting to resemble a laser pointed toward the sky, and held a hand to his mouth; it was going to be close indeed.

"Room for a little more help?" he turned his head at the sound of the tiny feminine voice, and Romama, his jaw dropped, also dropped the heavy wrench he had been holding. It landed right on Rokiki's foot, and the captain gave a howl, crashing back into Dororo.

"You're both the cause of all of my suffering!" he howled.

"R-Rokiki-dono, I don't even know what I did!" Dororo sputtered.

"Sorry, I should've called," Kodada scratched the back of her head and chuckled.

"Kuku, with one more set of hands, our chances of have risen to ninety-percent, Teicho," Kururu said to Keroro, who was tearing up with happiness now.

The redheaded girl took up a tool of her own, and went to work in between Natsumi and Fuyuki.

"Nee-chan, you need any help up there?" she asked a surprised Chunini, who had been stunned at her sister's rare appearance. Chunini was strapped to a cord, and was on the side, working on painting numbers on the side of the machine.

"No… Having you here is enough, Kodada-chan," Chunini answered, and smiled. "Hey, Lupa-chan, you and your boyfriend having a hard time over there?!"

"DON'T call me "Lupa-chan!" Lupapa snarled from across the room.

"So now we have two teams of Stupid Frogs… At least this other one isn't trying to take over the place…" Natsumi muttered.

"Here, Momochi!" she heard Tamama call out as he rushed over to her, another piece in hand.

"Hehe, well, after I heard Romama-kun's message, I couldn't help but come and help," Kodada explained. "I'm not part of their team anymore, but that doesn't mean they're not my friends! And… If this us trying to stay here, I know Romama-kun's nephew would be here helping us, too!"

"…I didn't leave her a message…" Romama muttered to himself, then looked up again at Chunini, who innocently continued painting.

"That's the last of it," Mahihi wiped his forehead after tightening the last bolt with all of this might, and sat down on the ground next to Rokiki, who was laid out on the floor, his one foot bandaged up.

The rest of the group was exhausted, and covered in grease and showing signs of fatigue.

"It's…. It's perfect!" Keroro cried out.

"I need a shower after this… And a manicure…" Chunini complained, and Lee looked down at her.

"We'll arrange that, Miss Chu. Right away," Lee was tired-looking as well, the shelves on her white dress shirt rolled up and her hair half undone. "As… Soon as the feeling comes back in my hands. I can't dial right now."

"With half an hour to spare, this is better than we thought…" Giroro said as he looked up at the device. "And we're certain it'll work?"

"It has to," Keroro answered in a rare seriousness that surprised even Giroro.

"It should, if we had any hand in it," Mahihi said good-naturedly.

"True," Fujuju grinned. "We… Might not have been the best to one another in another time, but we always made a good team."

"Kukuku… Sounds familiar," Kururu chuckled from his computer.

"I think everyone should get upstairs… If they saw any of you…" Giroro started, looking out at the non-platoon comrades.

"Understood," Romama nodded, and limped out of the base with the others.

"Good luck, Gunso!" Fuyuki called out to Keroro, and Keroro returned the smile.

"…We better get them all something nice for Christmas…" said the sergeant as he looked up at the machine. There was a general nod in the group.

"Ojiisama, he's here!" Mois called out, rushing into the control room. All of the men and both girls stood at attention as there was the sound of a procession then, from down the hall. Giroro kicked Keroro up to the front of the line, and Keroro shook as there, on the wall of the hallway, there grew a tall shadow, creeping up the wall.

All of the platoon stiffened into their best military-fashion stances, and awaited his arrival. The first thing they saw was the General's entourage; talk, hulking soldiers, dressed in white and red uniforms and with red-beaked faces, red hair, and sunglasses; each was identical.

The general wore a yellow uniform, and also had the red beak, hair, and otherwise human face. He didn't wear sunglasses, and instead had two slit-like eyes. He was stout; and he himself was shorter than even Kirere.

The Platoon was stunned by this, and it showed in each of their faces; to the point of where the General caught on, and frowned.

"…Do I have something on my face?" he asked, and all were quick to shake their heads.

"Gero… Everyone, make the General and his men feel at home!" Keroro demanded, clapping his hands. On cue, the group disassembled, Tamama bringing snacks, Giroro and Dororo bringing chairs, and Kirere drinks. Kururu, in the meantime, had walked over with Keroro to the control panel of the device.

The General walked over to the device to inspect it while alternating sips of his juice box and bites into his snack cake, and nodded in approval.

"…What's it supposed to go?" he asked in his childlike voice.

"Ah, I'm glad you asked, gero gero gero… That's just what we were getting ready to show you, General-dono!" Keroro replied. "Kururu Soucho, if you would—The switch!"

"Aye, Teicho…. Pachito!" the yellow scientist, and then pressed the button. Silence, save for the chirping of a few lone crickets, followed. Keroro slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder to Keroro, and his mouth twitched. Again, Kururu pressed the button, but nothing.

The General's eyes now opened a little more now, sensing something amiss.

"What's wrong with it?!" Giroro whispered to Kirere.

"I… I don't know! The only thing I could think would be a loose wire!" she answered worriedly. "Maybe if I could…"

"Just… Just give us a minute, General-dono!" Keroro exclaimed holding out his hands.

"…You have two. And I'm counting," the General answered dully, raising his wrist to reveal a golden watch, and Keroro pulled Kirere over to the machine in a panic. She started on the wiring at the console of the machine, while Kururu typed away at the computer.

"…Everything's all right with the software…" Kururu muttered, then looked down at Kirere. "How about there?"

"One of the circuit boards fried!" she answered in a panic. "I'll need five minutes to fix it!"

"One minute," the General called out, and Keroro gave a scream, and he, as well as the others, began to search in vain for the piece Kirere needed, while the little girl tried to pull it out of the bottom panel.

"Found it!" Keroro called happily, holding it up for all to see.

"…Twenty seconds… Fifteen…" and then the General stopped. Keroro had been in mid-run, and stopped, noticing that this was not the only thing that had stopped. The rest of his platoon members seemed to be frozen, save for the small grunts and grumblings that came from the open console.

"…T-Time Bender-dono!" Keroro choked out; the tall pale woman stood there, staff in hand, looking as though it had just been used.

"How long to you need?"

"Huh?" Kirere looked up from her console, looked about, and then to her. "What happened? Ah… AHHHH!"

"Ki-Kirere-chan! Calm down! Miss Time Bender is on our side!" Keroro explained. "Just… Keep with what you were doing! How long will it take?"

"…Two minutes, I think…" she answered, running back to the area, almost too small for even her to squeeze into.

Keroro looked up at the Time Bender, and she gave the slightest of nods. He grinned, and looked back at Kirere, whose tail and legs were the only thing visible as she worked.

"I've got it!" she called out. "That's it, it should work!"

"Excellent job! And thank you, Time Bender-dono! Although… I am puzzled as to why you came to help us…"

"…Making up for my mistake. It was… The just thing to do," she answered, searching and choosing her words carefully. "Is that all you needed?"

"Actually… One last thing," Keroro answered, lifting up the frozen Giroro and dragging along the corporal, who was in mid-freeze. "That should do it!" she answered as he had him repositioned now. "…That's for calling me a fool, gero gero gero… I told you I could do it…"

"You had a lot of help," Kirere said flatly.

"Ehehe… Well," Keroro scratched the back of his head, and then looked to the tall woman. "You didn't want to stay for lemon squares, did you?"

"Lemon what?" was her dull reply, looking down at Keroro. "…No. I need to be going, I've gone against protocol enough."

"Hey! Do you have a name besides Time Bender?" Kirere called out as she began to turn to walk to leave.

The woman looked over her shoulder to Kirere, and spoke abruptly, "Yes. It's Botan."

And then she slowly dematerlized, and time started back up again normal for everyone; save for Giroro, who ran straight into the shut door with a loud thud. Kirere gave a shudder at the noise, and the red Keronian gave a growl of confusion and pain.

"Ten…." the General called out.

"WAIT! We're done!" Keroro chirped.

"We are?!" Tamama, Mois, and Dororo asked aloud. Kururu gave a laugh, and went to typing on the computer console.

"Looks as though we are… How about that…" chuckled the scientist, and he continued entering in the code numbers. There was a low humming noise filling the room now, and the General's eyes widened a bit as before his eyes fell a single snowflake; it was followed by a sprinkling of others. The General gave a shiver as he noticed now the temperature around him had changed.

"Gero gero gero… We call it Operation Christmas in July," Keroro explained, leaning coolly against the machine.

"See you in Hell!" Tamama chimed in cheerfully.

"Unlike other weather machines, this has the ability to change the season on entire hemispheres! This is but a taste of its power, which could cripple any given part of Pekopon in snow or sun, depending on their willingness to comply to our demands or my mood for that day," Keroro continued.

"Hehe…. I like it!" the General held out his hands as the snow continued to fall around them. "Hehe… Men, I say we make snow angels!"

"Actually, Sir, we have to report back with our findings as soon as possible," said one of the military men, and the General gave a frown.

"Well, maybe I'll just come back during your regular winter!" the General said, turning and smiling at the group. "Do you think you could make another one of those? We don't get winter on our planet anymore…"

Keroro thought for a moment, then grinned, "We can have this one shipped off to you if you want, General-dono!"

The General lit up at this, "Really?! You could do that?! Hey, we could have ice skating for my birthday this year!"

All of the soldiers looked displeased by this, but they quickly changed their expressions to that of agreement and forced looks of happiness at the General's glare.

"It'll need time to cool down after tonight, but we can have it shipped out as early as… Next week," Kururu said after typing in some equations to the computer.

"Wow! I can't wait!" the General exclaimed. "You Froggy People aren't so bad!"

"We think we're all right," Keroro replied. "Now, about a payment…" he held out his hand, awaiting some sort of cash or check for the machine. Instead, he received a hearty handshake from the General.

"We'll put in good word with you!" the General said to the stunned Keronian Sergeant, and then walked with his soldiers towards the exit. He saluted, and the Pekopon team returned this, save for Keroro, who was still too stunned to do much of anything; instead, Mois knelt down, taking one of his arms and forming a weak salute.

"….Well, at least they're gonna make it so we can stay," said Kirere after a long, long moment of stone cold silence after the General had left.

"Keroro… Do you realize… How much of our budget was invested in that thing? What… Possessed you to do that? Wait, it was your own greed… Of course," Giroro hissed darkly. "And don't think… I don't know it wasn't you who moved me to that door…"

"Gunso!" Keroro turned his head at the sound of running sneakers on the metallic floor of the base, and Fuyuki turned the corner, now dressed in heavy winter clothes. "How did it go?!"

"Well, we're staying, but I can't say we're any richer from it," Keroro muttered, and was jerked out of his stupor as Fuyuki lifted him up, embracing his friend.

"Stupid Frog!" Natsumi growled as she stomped in through the light snowfall. "Have you seen outside?! There's snow coming down! In June! Make it stop!"

"Eh, sorry, Natsumi-dono, it's going to be like this for the next twelve hours…." Keroro answered.

"Nee-chan! Gunso and his friends are staying!" Fuyuki exclaimed happily, and Natsumi pulled Keroro by the head out of Fuyuki's grasp, holding him at a good distance with one hand, and making a fist with the other.

Keroro was still rubbing his bandaged head as he stomped back upstairs, his pride hurt, and the platoon found that the temperature inside of the house had dropped. Keroro stopped beside the couch, tilting his head, puzzled by the shaking blue Keronian.

"Dororo, I thought you were one to not let the cold affect you!"

"Teicho-dono, I'm over here… That's Lupapa-dono," Dororo answered; Keroro yelped and jumped away, seeing that it was indeed Lupapa, her teeth chattering even from beneath the numerous blankets that she had been wrapped in. Her skin had even gone from bright purple to a bluish-violet, all to Chunini's amusement.

"Hey, Fuyuki! We're having a club meeting outside!" Chandi opened the sliding glass door, allowing a bit of snow to fall onto the living room floor, and Momoka, too, stuck her head in, a snowball forming in her gloved hands.

"Yes… In the form of a snowball fight… We were hoping Fuyuki-kun could join us…" Momoka said meekly.

"It's us against those British kids and the ninja girl!" she called out as Fuyuki rushed towards them. "Mora, you come help, too!"

"Well, if you insist…" she floated towards the sliding door, and called out gently to Rokiki. He was watching as Dororo returned with another blanket for Lupapa, and laid it over the shaking woman. "Rokiki-kun…" she called again, and Rokiki turned his head to her.

"Huh? Yeah… Sorry…." He muttered, and walked toward her. "Reflecting on how big an idiot I am, I guess."

"It's all right," she said to him quietly, floating towards the doors with him now. "You know, I could always help you meet someone new, if you just asked!"

"Ugh! No, thank you… The last person I want in charge of my love life is you," Rokiki grunted, and was greeted by a snowball to the face as soon as he walked out. He glared over at the laughing Oliver, and both the blonde boy and his sister pointed down to the unsuspecting Fujuju, who was still forming a snowball. Rokiki answered this attack with a snowball that bowled over the chartreuse Keronian, sending him flying into the snow.

Both Momoka and Chandi laughed at this, and Chandi gave a nudge to her friend, nodding towards Fuyuki. Momoka gave a gasp, and slowly approached him, "Fu…Fuyuki-kun, you can have one of the snowballs I made, if you want…"

"I'll take it, Momochi!" Tamama called, and Momoka gave a growl, and kicked the black Keronian like he were a soccer ball.

"Quit ruining the moment!" she growled.

"Ah, I don't know how I could ever repay you, Ojiisama!" Keroro patted his uncle on the shoulder, and Romama sipped from his hot cocoa, looking wearily at Keroro.

"You didn't learn a thing, did you?" Romama muttered, and Keroro grinned.

"I learned that Ojiisama's dependable whenever I'm in a jam!" Keroro replied, and Romama gave a sigh. "And now I get to stay and help Ojiisama!"

"Really, please don't help me. Please," Romama answered.

"Romama-kun?" both looked up and into the eyes of Kodada. Keroro took a few steps away from Romama, and watched the exchange of the two in silence. "I… I'm glad you were doing well! I was worried about how you were doing, I think that's one of the reasons I came by, too… It seems like you have a good life here!"

"Kodada-dono… Why don't you stay a little longer?" Keroro suggested, and Kodada gave a regretful smile.

"I have to get back, before my family realizes I'm not spending the night at a friend's… I hope maybe you visit me sometime, Romama-kun! And… If you get a girlfriend, don't be afraid to bring her by, all right? I want to meet her!"

"Y-yes, I can do that," Romama nodded, and Kodada patted him on the shoulder, and then quietly slipped out through the front door.

"Did you want me to go after her, Miss Chu?" was seated on the couch beside her employer, and Chunini looked up to Lee with a smile, a hollow one that just barely held back her true expression.

"It's all right, Lee, I have everyone I need here… Meaning you and Lupa-chan!" on saying this, Chunini leaned over and embraced the shaking Brazilian Keronian, who only chattered her sharp teeth in response.

"You… You made me feel colder…" Lupapa managed to whisper through the teeth clicking. "Your aura's one… Of evil…"

"Dad, lookit, curry snow cone!" Kirere exclaimed, rushing over to Giroro. He had resigned himself to clearing out the front door of his tent, only to find it recovered with the white as it was hit by a large snowball, and this snow as well as the white that had amassed top his tent fell down to the ground. "That's…. Very unique."

"Watch out!" Maggie called out, and Giroro spun around; a snowball hit him right in the face.

"My wife's going to kill me for this," Mahihi sighed as he sat on the stoop, happy enough to build a snowman with Romama seated next to him. "…I told her I was going out to get milk. Eh? What's up with you?"

"…Nothing," Romama answered, looking out at the battle brewing; Kirere had managed to drag both of her parents into it now, and they stood on opposite teams.

"Natsumi-san! We're one short, did you want to come play?!" Koyuki asked, sticking her head in. Natsumi stood from her seat and yawned.

"I'm tired, but… I guess the cold will wake me up," she stretched her arms out as she walked to the backyard, and about this time, Haruki walked out, an empty tray in his hands.

"Who the heck ate the rest of the lemon squares?" he demanded, and Keroro looked up at him, bewildered for a moment. The sergeant then gave a grin, followed by a small laugh.

And while the snowball fight continued, and the snow continued to fall in the morning hours, the Time Bender finished the last of her snack, and resumed watching the battle from her perch, seated gracefully atop the Hinata house, invisible to everyone below her.

She stood, and adjusted her dress, "…This evens our score now… My oversight has been rectified….. And yet…"

She said nothing more, but slowly vanished once more; no one noticed this at the snowball fight raged on below.


	21. Keroro Shotai: Displaced in Time! Pt1

(Author's Note: Originally I skipped over episode eleven on accident, so it came after episode fifteen)

I'm going back to school tomorrow, and I'm feeling extra-jittery, so I'm writing this out to ease my nerves ^_^'' The lost 11th chapter. I'd love to give extra thanks to Rien and bluenin for the very inspiring ideas. Thank you both very, very much.

Ah, backtracking to chapter 11. Why? Well, because I never wrote it, it turns out! So I'm doing something special instead of re-numbering my chapters, and I'm instead making a "lost episode". Even worked in how and why it's lost... But that's to come yet. Enjoy!

Episode 11:  
Keroro Shotai: A Lost Episode! Displaced in Time!  
Part 1:

"They really do that?" Kirere asked, pale in horror, and Tamama merely nodded sagely as he sat on the floor of the spaceship across from his "sister", the little girl laid on the floor, propping up her head with her hands, and Tamama sat across from her, seated with his legs folded.

"Yup… You don't do well enough in gym classes, and you get fed to space yaks," Tamama nodded confirmingly, and she stared, wide-eyed in horror.

"That isn't true," Giroro sighed as he interjected. "And you, quit telling her stories like that! It isn't that difficult to get a court martial, especially at your rank."

Tamama gave a grumble, and Kirere smiled and stuck her tongue out at him.  
"Gunso-san, how much longer until we get there?" Tamama moaned, looking over to Keroro.

"Should be another Pekoponian hour at this rate, kukuku…" Kururu answered for Keroro, then stretched back in his seat.

"Why do we all have to go to Keron, anyway? I usually don't get to go with everyone…" Kirere said as she stood and walked over to where Kururu sat, and looked out at the endless space in front of them.

"Physicals. We all need them, even you," Giroro answered. "We'll be getting military ones, yours will be with my family's doctor."

"You know some needles there have points as big as hoses?" Tamama said with a grim smile. Kirere spun around to him, and the bickering began.

"Ah, reminds me of many a school field trip…" Keroro sighed blissfully as Giroro attempted to break up the fight between the two. "What about you, Dororo?"

"I… I was never able to attend many if you remember, Keroro-kun… I was either too ill, or you never woke me up, even after you promised…." Dororo choked, and Keroro gave a nervous chuckle.

"Is… Is that so?" Keroro's voice was quiet, and he quickly turned back to the controls. "It shouldn't be too long now! And Kirere-chan will finally get a chance to meet the rest of her family!"

"Neh?" Kururu leaned forward in his seat a bit, and frowned.

"…What's that, Kururu Soucho?" Keroro asked as he, too, saw the purple and black mass in front of them. Giroro walked over to it, as did Kirere and Tamama, who stopped fighting as they saw the imposing nothingness become larger and larger.

"It's immense…" Dororo said in awe as he looked it over.

"…Looks like a wormhole," Kururu muttered, and began to press buttons on the dashboard. "I'm never seen one in person…" he admitted.

"What kind of worm made that?" asked Kirere. "…Must've been a big one!"

"Kuku, it's supposedly a meeting of two black holes… I've got to navigate this away before we get sucked into its pull…"

"What happens if we get sucked in?"

"No one's sure, although there's a couple of theories… Kuku, I'm not really interested in finding out which one's true…"

"Gero?" Keroro blinked as the lights on the screen began to flash. "Ehhh… Kururu Soucho, what does that mean?"

"Kuku, that means that we could be in for trouble…" Kururu answered, and tried harder to pull back now. The ship began to shake, and the lights flickered. Giroro took hold of Kirere with one arm, and with the other clutched to a nearby chair.

All gave a yell at the feeling that came next; the gravity began heavy, and everything seemed to slow down…

And then, it was all alright once more.

All lifted their heads up, and looked about, cautious of the sudden calm. Everything was as it once had been, and nothing was out of place on the ship.

Keroro slowly rose from beneath his seat, where he had cowered during the scary encounter, and shakily uncovered his eyes.

"It… It's Keron…" Keroro muttered to himself, confused by the sight of his home planet, as was everyone.

"It's so green…" Kirere said with a whisper.

"Kururu, how did we get here so quickly? I thought we were an hour away from Keron at best," Giroro wondered. From Kururu's silence, it was clear he was wondering this as well. He dismissed it with a shrug, and sat back, relaxed as usual.

"Must be one of the effects of the wormhole. There's a theory stating they lead to different parts of space… We just happened to luck out, kuku!"

"Just hurry up and get us there… And try not to kill us anymore between now and then…" Giroro muttered darkly, walking back over to his seat cross-legged.

As they got closer to the planet, a more ominous feeling set in. The cities weren't nearly as bright as they'd remembered them being…

"Dororo-san, wasn't there a spaceport there last time?" Tamama asked as they flew past an empty sky.

"…I believe so, Tamama-dono," Dororo answered with confusion.

"Neh, no one's answering…" Kururu muttered as he pressed down on the intercom button again. "They must all be on break, kuku!"

"It certainly does look like they've started taking energy conservation seriously…" Keroro muttered.

They made it into the atmosphere, and all looked about at the clear blue skies, with little else flying in the skies. The worry was growing as they floated along the beautiful scenery.

The platoon was wrestled from their silent worry as there was a loud explosion, and the ship rocked. There was another explosion, and again the ship gave a jolt.

"What the—" Giroro looked out the side window, and could see pink beams of light shooting past them. "They—They're shooting at us! Kururu, give me the wheel!"

"I'll go see what's going on with the engine… You two, come with me," Kururu said with his usual calmness as he walked towards the exit door, Kirere and Tamama following behind him.

"I'll investigate from above!" Dororo called out, rushing through another exit.

"G… Go, team…" Keroro said quietly, raising a fist in support.

"Neh!" Giroro made a hard turn to the right, and he was able to see one of the attackers now—He stopped for a moment, stunned, as he saw the design of the ship.

"That… That's from the museums, isn't it? Gero, I didn't think they'd be able to fly anymore…"

"They shouldn't be able to," Giroro answered, tilting his head down and gripping onto the wheel. They were shot on again, and Giroro tried to pull up, but without much success. Keroro clung onto him as they awaited the inevitable, and both shut their eyes as they impacted with the earth.

Keroro came to as he felt another splash against his face, and he sat up slowly, then shook the water off of his face, "Gero?... Did I pass into the great beyond? Why does the angel look like Mahihi-dono?"

"He's a friend of Mahihi, too?" the Keronian blinked, his red eyes looking over Keroro.

Indeed he did look like Mahihi, save for the eyes. The family crest was the same, as was the dark green color. He was a tall man, with a white cap that looked more like a bandanna than a helmet. Around his waist he wore a white apron, with designs around its hem.

"Do you need more water?" came a voice from inside, and he turned around.

"No, he finally came to," he looked over his shoulder, then back to Keroro. Keroro, for the first time, looked about at the group—Kirere, Tamama, and Giroro all sat on the stone floor. Keroro looked around a bit more, and saw it was some sort of bakery… But it was like none he'd ever seen in person before.

"It's like something out of an old drama…" Keroro whispered to himself. "Where's Kururu Soucho? Or Dororo, for that matter?"

"We're still looking for Dororo… Kururu went to go see what he could do with the ship," Giroro answered.

"Gunso-san, this is Mahihi-san's Papa!" Tamama exclaimed, and Keroro blinked, stunned.

"It's true," he answered. "Your friends were just telling me all about how you all knew my sons. My name's Gohaha—They've probably both been too busy to mention me to you. What, with their careers and all… You raise them from tadpoles, and that's how you get thanked!"

"Stop pretending you're not happy for them, Papa!" Mahihi's mother was also towering compared to the Keroro platoon, and she walked in with a tray full of fresh baked goods. "I figured you children would be hungry…"

She wore a wig of red hair, tied back in a pink bandanna, and she had blue eyes, and dark blue skin. She wore a yellow apron with a the family's turtle-style crest. She was older, having lost her tail and the mainly white face, and she smiled warmly as Tamama took two of the desserts, followed by Kirere, who took one begrudgingly. She nearly gagged at the sweetness.

"I got the recipe from Fijiji—She says we can use it!" she chirped happily.

"My wife," he nodded to her, and stood. "So what brings you strangers here? And… If you don't mind my asking… Why are you dressed so strangely?"

"I don't think it's that strange…" Keroro muttered. "A little behind the times, maybe, but…"

"Come on, I think my sons have some things in my room… Oriri and Fijiji ought to have something the little girl can put on. You'll get nothing but stares looking like that."

"Oh, we don't need that—We have some of Roki's old things around still!" the woman smiled, waving off her husband politely.

"Roki?!" the Keroro platoon exclaimed at once, and both parents turned around, surprised.

"We like to call him our son, even if he isn't blood," Mahihi's mother explained as she stood in the living room of the house—It was attached to the bakery, which Mahihi's father had gone back to running.

Already Tamama had his outfit—A skirt-like ensemble that was like the one Rokiki and Mahihi had worn, with black, gold, and brown patterns on it. He fidgeted with the helmet she'd given him, which looked much like Rokiki's.  
Keroro wore an outfit similar to Tamama's, except the coloring was red, black, and gold, and there was a small bronze chestpiece inbetween the two arm coverings.

Kirere was dressed in a full bell-like dress, this one purple and light pink, which Mahihi's mother had quickly fashioned out of some curtains she'd had laying about. On the back of the girl's hat now there was a bun, and tied around it a yellow ribbon. Her long brown gloves had been exchanged for a pair from Mahihi's childhood, which were brown and fingerless.

Giroro now stood, being fit for an outfit, this one alternating between black and dark red, and with his belt going up the side and connecting to the black belt he wore.

"His father was part of a clan that lived here before the war broke out," she continued, working on sewing the hem. "They were travelers who no one wanted to settle around here… They were banned everywhere they possibly could be banned. Then my husband and our next-door neighbor allowed them to stay on the land we owned out back… Mahihi was so happy, his friend—The neighbors' son—Had just been taken away… Mahihi was so young when it happened, he doesn't even remember the boy… He instantly made friends with Rokiki… So when the Great Tragedy occurred, we took him in without any hesitation."

"The Great Tragedy?" Keroro repeated, and the woman gave a sad nod.

"It was an awful war… No one wanted to be in it, really, but they just kept going… By the end of it, no one was sure why it'd even been fought so long! It was so terrible, so many lives were lost… People are still reeling from it, that's probably why your ship was shot down so quickly. People are very paranoid about anything different these days…"

"Why are you helping us, then, if everyone's so afraid?" Giroro asked.

"Because we're not everyone. Plus you remind me a little of my son! You know, it's very odd to see a Keronian with your looks who isn't a traveler!" she said with a smile. "You don't have the tattoos for it, though, so you couldn't possibly be."

"Why not? Our son has them, and he's not one," Gohaha grumbled as he walked in, a bag of flour slung over his shoulder. "Oriri's over. If anyone would know how to fix the ship, it'd be him."

He stepped sideways, and another sea of shock went sailing over them.

"Fu… Fujuju Soucho?" Keroro choked beneath his breath.

"Eh?" Dororo raised his head, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He was in an apartment, that much he could tell… He sat up, and rubbed his sore head, and looked about. He was stunned with horror as the first thing he saw was a figure in the shadows. "He… Hello?"

A pair of green eyes greeted him from the shadows, one he recognized after only a moment, "Lu… Lupapa-dono?!"

She looked at him, and stepped out of the shadows, surprised at having been called by this name, "…Have we met?"

"Yes, well… Is this… Some sort of joke?"

"I don't joke," she answered in a snap. "If you hadn't landed on my roof, you wouldn't even be here! Now answer me, because I have more than a few questions for you!"

"What… What is all of this?" he stood, and Lupapa tensed up, reaching for a sharpened pole on the side, beside a dresser. There were paintings lining the walls, paintings too fine for just an apartment. The more he paid attention to the details, the more priceless items he could spot, including some he remembered seeing in museums as a child. One painting in particular was in his family's home; he'd remembered his mother referring to it as being priceless.

"Don't touch anything. Don't call anyone, and just be happy I spared your life!" she said in a warning snarl.

He turned around, and looked at her face, which was twisted in a threatening manner. Both of her eyes… She could see out of both of them…

"I… My name isn't that important. Lupapa-dono, this is what you were like before…"

"Before what?" she snapped. She heard a knocking on the door, and stiffened, tightening her hold on the spear and sneaking out of the opened bedroom over to the door, Dororo following silently behind. She waited tensely in front of it, while Dororo watched this all unfold, puzzled. As the steps became quieter, she eased up taking a few steps back and then easing her grip on the spear. She turned to him and glared.

"If I find out you're an informant, they'll never find your body."

"Lu… Lupapa-dono was much different in a previous life, apparently…. " Dororo said to himself nervously. He lifted a hand to his head as he felt the floor move, but it reality the floor hadn't moved at all. He went to collapse on the ground, but Lupapa caught him before he managed to hit the floor.

"I don't know where you came from, but you're injured…" she muttered, laying him down gently on the floor. She sighed and brought over a basin of water, wringing out a towel that laid inside it and laying it across his forehead. He opened his eyes, and slowly sat up, seeing for the first time one of her own arms was bandaged. She pulled it away as she saw him looking at it, and spoke quickly.

"It happens in my line of work," she muttered. "…I don't know why I saved you, but… I felt like if I left you it'd be a mistake."

She only realized how this sounded once it'd been said, and Dororo watched curiously as she flushed. She stood up quickly, and tossed him a bag, "I found you some things. Take those and leave. Don't think about leading the police to me, either. I'll be gone from here by tomorrow."

"…Thank you, Lupapa-dono."

She only gave a grunt in return, and returned to her bedroom.

"Do you think you can fix it?" Gohaha asked as he looked over the engine, and Oriri sat back, and pushed up his glasses. The chartreuse Keronian looked unsurely at the engine, then his yellow eyes traveled back to Gohaha.

"This is more advanced than anything I've dealt with, and I've been around a long, long time at this point," he admitted, and looked past Gohaha to the travelers. "I… I don't know where they said they came from, but it certainly wasn't here… It doesn't look like anything's broken, but it looks like there' something missing… I just can't tell what it is! It's baffling, really!"

"That's what that little pink one said… Went on about not being able to fix something if she didn't know what part she needed… First they promote that kid to Major, now they have mechanics that are little more than kids… I wonder what's going on with this place sometimes…"

"There's no luxury allowing children to be children anymore," Oriri answered gravely, wiping his forehead and taking a seat on the wing of the ship.

"I can't find him anywhere!" Kirere rushed back to Giroro, and tugged on Giroro's arm worriedly.

"Ah, Kire-chan! Kururu probably went to go look for the part himself!" Keroro reassured her. "He's such a loner, whether or not the situation's dire or not."

"I'll see if Fijiji can make any sense out of this," Oriri pushed up his glasses and looked at the foreign engine once more. "…It'd probably be best not to have that little one around… Fijiji's… So sensitive around this time of the year… And then that sets off so many other problems, and she's been doing so well with controlling herself…"

"I understand," Gohaha nodded, and hopped down from the wing of the ship, and walked over to the group. "This might take a little longer than we thought, you guys walk around town while Oriri-sensei's wife has a look at it, all right? Maybe look for your other friends while they look at this…"

"Come on, Kirere," Giroro patted her on the shoulder, and led her out from the back, to the front of the shop; the four began to walk, looking around at the passing people and shops.

"An entire planet, and no Gunpla…. Gunpla isn't even a word to them… What a terrifying place this is…" Keroro muttered gravely.

"Are we ever going to get to go home, you think, Gunso-san?" Tamama asked worriedly. "What if our ship can't get fixed and Time Bender-san can't find us?"

"I… Of course we will, Tamama! And if we don't, Time Bender-dono will be sure to find us! Why, we must be changing all sorts of things, even by breathing this air!" Keroro nodded cheerfully. "We… We'll just have to make the best of things for now, is all! Why, Kururu Soucho probably has this entire mystery solved already! We'll be back to conquering Pekopon before we know it! Until then, we'll enjoy some of the finer things that you can enjoy on ancient Keron!"

"Huh? Hey! They have good music at least!" Kirere said happily as she was drawn to music coming from behind a wooden fence; she looked through a crack in the fence curiously, then wandered over to the ajar gate. Tamama, too, looked into the opening in the gate.

"It's moments like that I remember why you're the one who made captain," Giroro said to Keroro as he passed his superior, leaving Keroro stunned for a few moments. Giroro walked over to Kirere, and gave a nod, therefore giving her permission to enter the gated area, which led to a café and a stage.

"Ah, and it's moments like these that are worth all of the trouble," Keroro sighed happily, and went to enter himself, bumping into two younger Keronians along the way. "Ah, pardon me."

"N… Nee-chan?!" one of the voices squeaked, and Keroro shot his head over to the Keronians. Kodada and Romama looked at Keroro with the exact same surprised expression he wore.

"Gero… Oh, dear…" was Keroro's answer, followed by a nervous gulp.


	22. Keroro Shotai: Displaced in Time! Pt2

If you get to the end of this, and start think, "Wait, that's it?!" You needn't panic. There's going to be a part three, because part two got very, very long, very, very quickly. Sorry about the wait for this, school and everything has kept me preoccupied from writing and from spending as much time as I like on a forum I love. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter, part three, the final part, to be out soon.

Episode 11:  
Keroro Shotai: A Lost Episode! Displaced in Time!  
Part 2:

"It couldn't be, Romama-kun!" Kodada chuckled and gripped onto the young boy's hand. "Your sister's at home with the baby, remember?"

"That's right," Keroro nodded.

"Speaking of sisters, there's Nee-chan! Come on, let's go watch! I want to make sure I can give her her present!" Kodada pulled him along, and Romama kept his eyes on Keroro, still puzzled, until he disappeared into the crowd.

"That was close," Keroro said with a sigh of relief, and leaned against the fence. "Gero?" he looked up and saw one silent figure jump from the tall building in front of him to his left, followed by another one. There was no sound from either of the shadowed figures in the darkening town, but Keroro looked up at the sky a few more moments, as if he was expecting another figure to make the same jump.

There was nothing. He shook his head, and walked into the stage area, poking his head out as he heard the clanging noise of metal; he immediately recognized the Keronian leading the group of black-clad infantrymen. Keroro hadn't seen a version of Rokiki that imposing since their first meeting.

Keroro looked back over his shoulder; Giroro had Kirere on his shoulders, and she watched the concert intently, with Tamama at the side. He slowly slipped out to follow the guards.

"Hehehe, I think I got it~!" chirped a cheery voice, and Oriri and Gohaha turned their heads toward the chuckle.

"What? You know what it is?" Oriri hopped onto the wing of the craft and looked down at the mustard-yellow Keronian. She sat up, giggled, and wiped some of the engine grease from her face.

"Nope. Not really," she admitted with a chuckle. "But we'll get it! Now don't you frown, that's not the Oriri I know!"

Oriri shook his head and took a seat on the wing beside her, and removed his glasses. Fijiji reached across and placed them back on his face, giving a little chuckle as she saw she left a smudge mark on his face in doing so.

"They would've been really gone if they hadn't had each other when they took him…" Gohaha's wife said quietly as she stood next to her husband, watching the other couple work.

"Ma? Dad?" both looked back, and Mahihi looked up at the large ship, puzzled, while standing in the doorway of the bakery/household. "What in the heck's that thing?"

"A new lawn decoration. You like it?" Gohaha smirked, and his wife nudged him and sighed. "Your mom thinks it's gaudy. I think it'll help with business!"

"Your father's humor never changes… So what are you doing here, I thought you didn't have any time for your poor parents now! You know business hasn't been the same since you boys went off…"

"Heh, now I have to keep the books by myself… And I have to hire someone to lift the heavy stuff," Mahihi's father patted him on the shoulder and gave a chuckle, and Mahihi gave a small sigh. "Where is your brother, anyway?"

"Rokiki? Where else but work…" Mahihi scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Once he finds something, he just doesn't let it go…"

"That's why he kept such good books," Mahihi's father sighed.

"I hope he's all right…" muttered Mahihi's mother quietly.

Lupapa spun around and growled, baring her teeth and glaring at Dororo. No matter where she jumped or ran to, he was behind her, following her and along the way calling out to her.

"You're going to get us both killed!" Lupapa snapped, taking a step towards him and clenching her fists. She wore a large black backpack on her back, empty for preparation of what was to come.

Dororo was taken aback by this angered Lupapa, but stood still and unmoving. He had changed into an outfit to accommodate his surroundings, including a pair of gray and black kote-like, a black vest with gold and red detail work, and a black helmet and mask. The veil around the helmet was gray and worn, and there were scar marks across the kote—One of these marks being from Lupapa's staff. She was not in the mood for being followed.

"Lu… Lupapa-dono, you… You're making a terrible mistake!" Dororo answered, and the thief looked unimpressed by this.

"You don't even know me," she muttered, looking away from him and down at the streets below. Her expression softened for a moment, then she snapped her head back to Dororo, and glared coldly. "Leave. Now. I won't tell you again."

"You're a good person!" she stopped in mid-lunge as he shouted this out, and looked back again to him. "This… This is just to help your family, and that's noble! But this shouldn't be the only way!"

"What else would you suggest, then?" she asked, and he was silent, save for a crack in his voice where he attempted to talk. "…That's what I thought… I wish I could have the luxury of being an idealist sometimes, too… It's too late for me, you don't see that?... But if my brothers and sisters get to have a better life, it'll be worth it. I hope you can find someone you care that much about someday."

She jumped once more, onto another roof building. Dororo stood there a moment, replaying what she'd said, and then jumped to follow her. He did have people like that.

He was chasing after one of them.

"…He looks really familiar…" Tamama muttered as they watched the stage, and Kirere gave a nod. It was more of a comedy sketch that was playing out on stage, between two Keronians.

"…It really isn't far from Osaka humor…" Giroro sighed with defeat as they two delivered their punchlines, and the three found themselves the only ones not doubled over with laughter.

"Where did Keroro run off to?" Giroro looked to his left and his right, and for the first time noticed Keroro not present among them.

"Huh?" Kirere adjusted her laying atop Giroro's hat, and looked out further, to the near front of the stage. "Hey, lookit!"

"Romama and Kodada," Giroro frowned, and then looked up at the stage once again… The more he looked at the two Keronians, the "young boy" in particular, the more something looked off…

They both ran off stage for a few moments, returning a moment later. The male Keronian now looked incredibly different, and incredibly familiar.

"That was Chunini-san…?" Tamama said gravely as the three watched Chunini bounce out with the pink Keronian, smiling wildly and waving to the cheering crowd.

"That's what they call a "trap", isn't it?" Kirere asked Giroro quietly.

"I feel like we were had," Giroro muttered grimly.

"Go, Nee-chan!" Kodada shouted out, and gave a whistle. Chunini chuckled and held out her hand, allowing for Kodada to hop up onto the stage with them.

"This is my sister!" Chunini called out proudly, an arm over the girl's shoulder. Eriri looked on, smiling contently.

"I made you something," Kodada said quietly, and Chunini looked happily surprised at this news, taking the silver charm bracelet in hand.  
Chunini waved them off, and Eriri followed, Kodada still in Chunini's embrace.

"I wonder who that other lady was…" Kirere wondered aloud.

"They looked really close up there," Tamama said to himself, and looked sideways at Giroro. From the stunned expression on Giroro's face, it was clear it had just clicked with him as well.

Up the side of the fenced in stage area, while the audience dispersed, there rushed through an older, serious-looking Keronian. He was yellow, and wore the same symbol Kodada and Chunini wore. The three could see Romama pale and then rush behind the stage, as if to warn them.

"….This is going to be bad," Giroro said. "I know that look…"

"Do we help them?" asked Tamama, and Kirere hopped off of Giroro's head, and looked up to her father.

"…It isn't really our place to do anything," Giroro said hesitantly, not dodging the pleading looks of his daughter all while saying this. "…I… If we do help them, we might change time altogether!"

"And then we would never meet Chunini-san," Kirere concluded. There was a silent moment shared between the three, and then Giroro walked toward the stage area.

"Stay safe, Kirere. Tamama, you take care of her," Giroro instructed them.

"Huh? But what changed your mind?!" she called out, but he only vanished into the crowd, without another word, leaving her and Tamama alone in the crowd.

"Great, I'm your babysitter in this time period, too…" Tamama grumbled.

"Looks like Senpai's on a mission of mercy…" Kirere spun around and yelped at the two black-cloaked figures that stood behind her. She was about to bolt and Tamama ready to attack when she heard a familiar, "kuuuuu kukuku" from underneath the smiling mask. "Pa… Papa….?"

Kururu raised the mask to show his face, and Kirere's smile grew, and she lunged to hug him, Kururu swiftly sidestepping and holding her back by the forehead. "…Right, sorry…" she cleared her throat and stood upright once more, now noticing the other silent figure. "Who…"

He slowly raised his own mask, and Kirere blinked as she was greeted by the well-meaning but weak smile of Fujuju.

"Kuku, maybe it was coincidence or fate, but he's the only one who would come to help… Looks like he was a bleeding heart then, too…" Kururu chuckled quietly to Kirere.

"Sorry to frighten you," Fujuju's voice, minus the British accent, was bizarre to the girl.

"Fu…. Fujuju Soucho?!" Tamama gasped.

His voice didn't have the bubbly joy they were used to hearing, either…

This voice was quieter, and duller. "Are you both all right?"

"I, um… Yes," Kirere nodded, and was quickly pulled out of her conversation as she heard yelling from behind the stage. "But I don't think they are."

"R-Rokiki Tai, are you sure she's up here?" whispered one of the assassins as they waited up the stairwell.

"I'm positive of it," he answered darkly, gripping onto his sword tightly. He looked over to his men, and did a double take. "W-Who the hell are you?!"

"Gero?!" Keroro blinked, having been spotted behind the last of the assassins. "I'm…. Special ops?"

Rokiki growled and shot his head back over to the top of the stairs at the sound of a clattering noise. He made a motion for them to move, and the assassins did so, in a straight, silent file.

"Well?! What're you waiting for?!" Rokiki hissed to Keroro. "Move it!"

"Well, I… Gero, I seemed to have left my sword in my other dress…"

"Then you'll be a shield!" Rokiki snapped, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him upstairs.

"Here we go…" Lupapa grinned as she slowly removed the cut glass, then set it down quietly on the ground. She was so close to her goal now, she thought as she saw the stack of papers in front of her, inches away from her hands.

"Lupapa-dono!" Dororo called out, and she faltered, nearly knocking over the glass case in the process. She turned around to him, stunned, and he stood in front of the open window. She went to say something, but was quickly stopped as she fell to the ground, the wind having been knocked out of her by one of the stealth assassins. She gripped onto her stomach, and was soon surrounded by the assassins, who broke way for Rokiki to enter the circle.

"What do you have to say now?" Rokiki asked sternly with a wicked smile as he held out his sword in front of her. She glanced to her left, to her staff, and within moments had lifted it up and swung at him. Some of the assassins moved out of the way of her quickly-moving weapon, but Rokiki only dodged and laughed.

Rokiki went to attack again, but Lupapa blocked him several more times, until slipping and tripping up a bit. What happened next happened within seconds. Lupapa gave a scream and was on the floor, gripping her eye, and Dororo stood, his own sword at Rokiki's throat.

"Gero… Dororo…" Keroro blinked, stunned. Lupapa started to stand uneasily, and this wasn't lost on Rokiki. He went to move, but was quickly followed by Dororo.

Keroro started to back up, but gave a yelp as he knocked over one of the nearby art pieces… This turned into a domino effect, where even the largest statues started to fall, blocking all of the assassins from the fight, or causing them to bail out of the windows without any other option other than being crushed.

"Idiots… All of them!" Rokiki snarled.

"S-Sorry?" Keroro said uneasily.

"Lupapa-dono!" Dororo called out as he saw Lupapa struggling toward the same window he and Lupapa had entered into. He rushed to her, but not without Rokiki following. He just missed striking Dororo, when both went crashing out of the window. Dororo managed to grab onto Lupapa and land on the ground, and then looked back up at the building, where Rokiki looked out at them, and then disappeared a moment later.

"Bastard…" Lupapa muttered numbly as she looked up at the building, and broke out of Dororo's hold, and reached into her bag. With the last remaining bit of her strength, she reached into her bag, and pulled out a small, round object. She threw it at the building, and it exploded into a burst of flames, which quickly climbed up the side of the building. The remaining assassins immediately started to pile out, not paying any attention to Dororo and Lupapa.

"T-Teicho-dono!" Dororo called out while Lupapa collapsed to her knees.

Dororo's worry for Keroro subsided quickly—The green Keronian ran out, a fainted Rokiki over on his back, and ran past Dororo and straight for the nearest well—The hem of his uniform had caught on fire. He dove into the well to put out the fire, Rokiki still on his back.

"It's astounding, you know… From what your father was describing, the technology sounds like something we've been working on!" Fujuju admitted with a chuckle as he walked alongside Kirere and Tamama, his mask removed and in one hand.

"S-So you know what part's missing?!" Kirere asked excitedly.

"We get to go home?! Back to candy, and good TV, and Momotchi and Paul?!" Tamama gasped.

"And racecars, and Haruki?!" Kirere added.

"It should be no problem getting a replacement… You… I…" he stopped in the street, and looked upward, toward the bright orange light. "My, it's…. Bright out… Tonight…"

"Huh?" she spun around, and her eyes went wide at the sight of the distant consuming fire.

"Fuju… Fujujuju…" Fujuju's mouth twitched a bit, until it formed into a smile.

"N-no Fujuju-san, you can't! You've got to help us out!" Tamama called out, but it was no use. Fujuju slowly put on his mask again, and then rushed down the street, laughing and only stopping for a moment to admire the blaze once more before storming off towards it.

"Kuku, now it looks like we're all in trouble," Kururu chuckled from beneath his mask.

"What… What do we do now?" asked Kirere.

"No choice but to find the part that fell off… Or make a new one… Kuuukuku!"

"Can we do either of those things?" asked Tamama hesitantly.

"Probably not, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled.

"Roki?!" Mahihi's mother gasped as Keroro drug up the fainted captain to the front door of his home. "What happened?!"

"The news just said a fire broke out at the museum…" Gohaha rushed to Keroro's side, taking up his adopted son in his arms and carrying him into the house, while Dororo followed behind, Lupapa in his arms.

Mahihi was in the doorway now, and was stunned as Dororo walked up with the thief, "…Just what the hell kind of friends did you make, Dad?"

"Who is she?" asked Mahihi's mother.

"A thief who we've been trying to catch for years now… Looks like we'll finally be able to take her in. I'll call the military po—" Mahihi stopped short as his mother delivered a smack to the back of his head.

"You'll call after she's better, right now, she needs our help," she said in such a stern voice that Mahihi looked terrified, and Keroro felt a bit of terror.

"O-Oh course, Ma," Mahihi said quietly, and slunk into the house, rubbing his head.

"Fijiji…." Oriri and she were seated on the wing, and Fijiji's eyes were transfixed on the orange glow in the distance. "Fijiji?"

"Huh?" she snapped her head over to him as he laid a hand over hers. "I'm fine, d-don't worry!"

"I'm not, because I know you are," he answered. "…You'll be just fine…"

"Do… Do you think Fujuju's all right, too?" she asked as she went back to work on the ship, and he smiled knowingly.

"He's safe. He's bright," he reassured her with a wide grim. "Now, come on, don't make an old man worry so! Let's fix this ship up for these nice children, what do you say?"

Fijiji thought for a moment, then smiled, "Let's do it!"

"Right!" he smiled lovingly at her, although, for a split second, this vanished as he looked out at the fire in the distance. He had an awful feeling about the fire.

"And one more thing, you—" Chunini's father had yet to stop his lecture, while Kodada looked on in tears. Also in hiding were Tamama and Giroro, who watched this fight unfold. Eriri stood next to Chunini, glaring at her father, and Chunini only looked down at the ground, her face flushed with anger.

"…I never thought I'd say this, but Kururu's a better father," Giroro thought angrily, grinding his teeth as he watched this. "We could both teach this fool a thing or two."

"Do you like spying on people?" Giroro jumped at the sound of a familiar voice, and turned around to see Romama there, his wooden sword at his side. Romama looked at him, stone faced, and Giroro stood, knocking over a pile of boxes along the way and making his presence very well-known.

Chunini's father frowned, and stormed over to Giroro, "And who are you?! One of those travelers, by your looks… I thought we took care of all of you, except for that one brat…"

"Is he a friend of yours, Chu-chan?" Eriri asked as she watched the intense staring between Giroro and Chunini's father.

"He… Might be…. I have a lot of friends," Chunini admitted.

"You're the worst kind of soldier," Giroro snapped at the man, and took a step forward to regain some ground. All watched in surprise as Chunini's father took a step back. "You enjoy picking on people who are either different or more talented than you. I know your kind, and even the most evil person I know isn't that low."

Chunini's father had taken another step back at this point, and Giroro grew more grim-looking.

"I have a daughter, and I'd never treat her the way you treat yours. You have no idea what your actions are going to end up unleashing on the world," Giroro snapped. Chunini's father glared silently at Giroro, then looked over to Chunini. She looked unsure a moment, then gulped and removed both her crest and her symbol, much to Kodada's horror, then passed it to her father.

"He's right. If… You're going to be like this, Papa, I can't be around you," Chunini said quietly. "I'm sorry, but… I hope you understand."

He took these, and slowly closed his hand over them. He turned around and started to walk away, spinning around for a moment in an attempt to sucker punch Giroro, but Giroro grabbed onto his fist, and waited for him to make the next move. Chunini's father pulled his hand away, then stormed out.

"…Can…. Can we buy you some drinks?" Chunini asked, blinking.

"N-Nee-chan, are you really?..." Kodada asked quietly, looking more at the ground than at her sister. Chunini looked at her sadly, and lifted her sister's head up.

"Your sister will be fine," Giroro reassured her. "Eh?" he noticed the bracelet daggling from Chunini's wrist at this point. "…Where did you get that?"

"Roma-kun found some scrap metal in his backyard. I… I thought I'd make gifts for Nee-chan and him…" Kodada answered unsurely. Giroro was transfixed at the symbol on the piece of metal she'd used for Chunini's bracelet—With the swirl and the 966 on it.


	23. Keroro Shotai: Displaced in Time! Pt3

Episode 11:  
Keroro Shotai: A Lost Episode! Displaced in Time!  
Part 3:

"Neh…." Lupapa turned over in the bed and slowly opened her one good eye, and Dororo immediately lit up as he saw she'd awoken.

"L-Lupapa-dono! How… How are you feeling?" he asked quickly as she sat up.

"My whole face hurts…" she answered in a mumble, gripping onto the bandaged area. Dororo was silent… She didn't know she'd lost her vision forever in that eye. "…Rokiki would've killed me…."

"Rokiki-dono still a good person, Lupapa-dono," Dororo reassured her.

"I'm starting to think you think that about everyone," Lupapa chuckled, and relaxed back on the bed.

"Eh…." Dororo looked about a bit, then reached behind his head and untied the mask he wore, dipping the cloth into a nearby water basin and then laying the wet cloth across her head. "Oriri-dono said to keep your fever down…"

"Thank you," she said quietly, easing back and shutting her one uncovered eye.

Keroro watched this quietly through the cracked open door, and watched as Dororo pulled up his old mask from his neck to around his face.

"Keroro," Giroro's voice stunned Keroro back to reality, and the green Keronian jumped. "…I think we may have found what we were looking for."

"Gero? It's this big?" Keroro gulped as he looked up at the large piece of metal, about the size of a car engine.

"I said it was missing, I never said it was small, kuku!" Kururu chuckled from behind them.

"Where's Dororo-san at?" Kirere asked Tamama quietly.

"He wouldn't leave Lupapa Goucho," Tamama answered, and Kirere nodded gravely.

"So where did you say you were from again?" Kodada asked as she stood beside Keroro in the backyard.

"Oh?! Urm… Out of town," Keroro answered with a chuckle.

"I need that," Kururu pointed to Chunini's bracelet, and she nodded after a moment, removing it and passing it to him. Romama did the same with the one Kodada had made for him, and Kururu tossed these to Kirere, who went to work on the engine-like machine.

"Gero?" Keroro blinked as out from the back door walked out a female Keronian, a baby in her arms.

"Roke?" she returned with confusion as she laid eyes on Keroro.

"I got it!" Kirere chirped. "…Now we've gotta move it…"

"….Any time… You want to help…." Giroro grunted as he, Tamama, and Romama pulled along the heavy machine, while Kururu walked beside them.

"Kuku, I already did a lot of the work, now it's time for you to start pulling your own weight.

"You're almost there! Don't worry!" Kirere chimed in.

"You're sure it's not a long way?" Romama's sister looked up at the top of the hill, where the machine was being pulled along.

"It's not that far, Oba-chan," Keroro answered nonchalantly.

"What did you say?"

"Gero… T-That I better get going! It was nice meeting you!" Keroro called out, and quickly rushed away to join the group. The men had taken a rest on the top of the hill, and Keroro joined them, doubling over to catch his breath and then resting one hand on the missing part, and patting it lovingly.

It answered by sliding all of the way back down the hill, dragging Romama along with it.

"You idiot!" came the familiar growl from the bottom of the hill.

"S-Sorry, Ojiisama..." Keroro said quietly.

It was daybreak by the time they brought the missing piece back to their ship—Mahihi and Fujuju's parents were still awaiting their arrival, standing outside of the ship. Fijiji immediately hopped off and began to prance about it, inspecting it.

"Hehe, I get it, you're from the future!" she giggled, and the Keroro Platoon was dumbfounded by this statement, muchless her nonchalant attitude.

"I… You have to excuse her, she's just not her best around children, and…" Oriri started, and Fijiji gave another giggle.

"Am I right?" she smiled hopefully, and this was met with unsure looks by the platoon. "Well, I hope I get to meet you all then, too!" she then whistled, and began to work on opening up the hatch.

"…Fujuju-san's Mama really is a weird one," Tamama muttered, and all nodded in agreement.

The ship was fixed, and Kodada was on board with Kirere, fixing the control panels, "So… If you're from the future, do you know us?"

"Well…" Kirere answered, standing up after tightening a few bolts to a metal panel.

"Do you know if Romama-kun and I get married?' Kodada asked excitedly, and Kirere grew only more nervous. Kodada's smile fell, and she nodded, and went back to work. "…I understand. It's a little more fun not knowing, isn't it? But… Could you at least tell me if my Nee-chan will be okay?"

"She will," Kirere said reassuringly, and Kodada grinned at this, and tossed the last of her tools in her bag. "And you will, too, Kodada-chan! You'll be a great pilot!"

"Pilot?" Kodada repeated. "I'm going to be a pilot?"

"Oops," Kirere gasped, and placed her hands over her mouth.

"That sounds like so much fun!" Kodada said with a grin, and then poked her head out of the window of the ship, "We're done!" Kodada called out.

"Kuku, we seem to be well enough to fly, Teicho," Kururu announced, looking over the stats on his ipod-like device.

"I… I guess this is goodbye, then," Keroro answered as he looked around at the group had formed. Chunini stood beside Eriri, and both sets of parents stood there as well with the platoon.

"I'll go get Dororo," Giroro announced as he walked back into the house.

"Should we get souvenirs for everyone?" Kirere asked Keroro.

"I don't think we want to mess up time anymore than we have, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled, and slunk into the ship, still chuckling.

"Don't worry! If some of the theories about time are right, you were all supposed to be here all along, anyway!" Fijiji reassured them.

"That's good," Keroro sighed with relief.

"Or you collapsed time, but hey, we won't be here to see that, so what's it matter?!" she added with a chuckle. Oriri gave a groan and put a hand to his face. "OH! I know!" she reached beneath her hat and removed a photograph, handing it to Kirere. "Don't give it to him until his birthday, okay? It'll be more fun that way!~"

"O-Okay," Kirere blinked, taking the family photograph from Fijiji.

"…Looks like they have that fire out finally," Gohaha said as he looked over his shoulder at the small puffs of gray that lined the sky.

"They… They said they were looking for a scientist, that one of them started it,," Gohaha's wife said in a whisper. With the tone she used, and the way she looked at Fujuju's parents, he understood what this meant, and he nodded.

Meanwhile, Giroro had finally finished his walk up the stairs, and knocked on the door of the room Lupapa and Dororo were in. Lupapa had fallen asleep, and Dororo sat cross-legged on the floor, "We're ready," Giroro announced.  
Dororo stood, and looked down at Lupapa one more time. She'd tied the black cloth he'd given her over her damaged eye, and slept only out of pure exhaustion. He nodded, and was gone from the room quietly.

The entire platoon boarded, and waved out from the large panel window, back down at the other Keronians.

"Bye, Kodada-chan, Romama-chan!" called out Kirere from the lone open panel.

"Take care!" Eriri shouted out.

"We'll have those drinks another time!" Chunini called out to Giroro.

"Mahihi-dono's family! Fujuju-dono's family! Byeeeeee, Ojiisama!" Keroro called out.

Romama stopped his waving immediately at the words "Ojiisama", and he went pale.

"R-Romama-kun?" Kodada squeaked.

"Well, that was a fun adventure!" Keroro stretched and sat back in his seat.

"Idiot! We all almost got killed! I ended up defending that demon woman!" Giroro snapped. "Nothing was right about this!"

"Do you think they'll remember us?" Kirere asked as she looked out the window.

"Kuku, from the looks of it, no…" Kururu chuckled, and all drew their attention to the front of the ship.

The Time Bender did not look pleased to see them. As she narrowed her eyes, the corner of her mask cracked a bit, and she tightened her grip on her staff, "….She doesn't look happy, gero…" Keroro muttered as they passed her.

They weren't out of her grasp, however. She took up her staff, and with a large, aggressive, swinging motion made a large cut, which cut open the blue sky and revealed a black, starry nothingness. Kururu tried to pull out of the hold, but it was no use—the controls had jammed up. They were stuck fighting futilely against the current, a fight that they lost.

There was a loud sucking noise, and then the rip closed up again, and they were gone.

And then she looked down at the Keron before her, and gave another motion of her staff, "….I cannot undo what you've all inflicted, but… I can pull out the memories of you doing so…. So much trouble from such a primitive race…" she mumbled, then grunted a bit. They had given her her first headache in a number of years.

"Ouch…" Lupapa grumbled as soon as she bolted up in bed, and looked about, panicked. Something… Something was wrong…

"How are you feeling?" she looked to the doorway, and Rokiki stood there, leaning in the doorway. She only looked away and glared.

"Where are the police?" she asked quietly.

"On their way," Rokiki answered. "I owe you my life," she turned her head at this. "…You and I were the last two ones out of that building, so… I must have been you who saved me."

"I wouldn't do that," she muttered, and looked away from him, "…I undid the bandages…. I can't see anything."

"I… I'm sorry," Rokiki blinked, and took a step into the room. "…I'll make sure they'll go easy on you, Lupapa. I… I'm sure when your exact circumstances come to light, there will be leniency."

"Why are you helping me like this?" she asked, glancing over to him.

"Because I may not remember what you did, but in my culture at least, we don't take something like this lightly," Rokiki answered.

"I suppose you are good underneath everything…."

"Hrm?"

"…It's nothing… Just… Something someone told me," she answered, placing a hand over her bandaged eye, and the black cloth that covered it.

"I'll let you be," Rokiki backed out of the room, knocking into a nightstand in the process and then muttering in embarrassment as he fixed it and then rushed out.

"Eh?" Mahihi blinked as he watched this exchange, and noted the look on Rokiki's face. "…What's up with you?"

"I… Nothing. It's nothing," Rokiki answered with a shake of the head. Mahihi poked his head into the room, and saw a similar blush on Lupapa's face, then he jerked his head back out, gave a groan, and slapped his forehead.

Gohaha passed Mahihi and yawned, patting his son on the shoulder, "Let your mother know I'm taking a nap… Eh? What's wrong with you?"

"More like what's wrong with the world," Mahihi muttered as he shook his head and walked down to his room, shivering once more at what he had just seen. "…It's like this place went upside down overnight!"

"So you don't know either, huh?" Oriri rubbed his aching head, and Fijiji smiled knowingly.

"I told you! We went to a barbecue! An all night one!" she chirped, although from her tone, it sounded as though she knew better. She hopped into the doorway, but stopped immediately as she saw a black cloaked figure slunk on the doorstep. The Keronian's body was covered in soot and ash, and his mask was grayed from the smoke.

"…Looks like he decided to come home finally, poor boy," Oriri muttered as he knelt down and removed his mask. "…Look at how old you got..."  
Fijiji knelt down, placed a hand on Fujuju's face, and then embraced him, not paying any attention to the ash or soot.

"We'll hide him," Oriri said quickly, rushing to the door. "We'll put your old symbol on him, say he's my nephew. We'll—"

"No," Fijiji answered. "He… He was the reason for that fire, wasn't he, Ori?"

"…Fijiji… I…"

"He needs help, like I got, Ori…" she broke away from him and wiped her eyes.

"You know… This means we might not have another chance," Oriri said to her quietly.

"I know," she answered, and looked to him with a sad smile. "He'll be okay. I know it."

"How is it you had the biggest night in your life and neither of us exactly remember it?" Eriri asked as she walked into her apartment, Chunini looking equally puzzled as she entered. Eriri gave a giggle and walked into her bedroom. "You must had harsh words for the old man!"

"Yeah," Chunini answered in an unsure chuckle, taking a seat in the living room. "I… I just remember him looking really surprised…"

"That's so unlike you, too!" Eriri added as she walked back out, and Chunini looked up at her unsurely, but Eriri only gave a pleasant smile as she took a seat beside her friend. "I'm proud of you, Chu-chan! That's the sort of courage it takes to be one of the really special musicians out there! Plus your dad had it coming…"

"The old man's not so bad, just isn't good with change, I guess," Chunini answered. "Eh? What's this?"

"For you," Eriri nodded, handing her a small, light item, wrapped in a white cloth. Chunini pulled back the cloth and gasped at the crest and symbol, matching Eriri's own.

"…E-Eriri-san! You… You mean it?!" Chunini said excitedly as she looked at the items, and Eriri smirked, and patted Chunini atop the head.

"Yeah! You let that other you out a little more, and you'll have everyone at your feet!" Eriri smiled and nudged Chunini playfully. "Maybe even me!"

Chunini laughed at this… Like Rokiki, Lupapa, and the rest who had witnessed the events of the previous day, the day had been a haze to her… But her father had finally stood down to her, and she had finally stood up for herself.

This was the beginning of a change in her.

"Maybe you accidently ate meat," Kodada suggested.

"No… This is more of a dread feeling than anything else," Romama answered, furrowed his brow, then yawned. "So did your sister really leave?"

"I… I think so…. I don't remember a whole lot about it," Kodada watched as two police vehicles zoomed by, and then went to staring back up the blue sky. She laid down on the grass next to him, and smiled as a few airships glided over them. "…You know, that could be fun!"

"Eh?" Romama turned his head and looked over to her curiously, and Kodada grinned.

"Flying a ship! Maybe I could even fly one for you someday, Romama-kun! Then we wouldn't have to worry about you traveling!" she said happily.

"Fly? I thought the instructors made you nervous, Kodada-chan…"

"They do, but… It'd still be fun!" she exclaimed, and rolled over. "I'm going to try out for the military, and that's that!"

She grinned cheerfully at him, and Romama couldn't help but blush and look away nervously.

"We can even find our own planet!" Kodada added, sitting upright on the grass, her legs crossed. "Or maybe go to one that hasn't been visited by anyone yet, and we could name it!"

"Yeah… That… Might be fun, huh?" Romama sat up as well and looked up toward the sky. Kodada slowly placed a hand over his, and the boy went bright red. Kodada gave a laugh and nudged him, and he fell right over, now out of his trance and also in good spirits as he attempted to push her back.

"…Finally, some peace and quiet," Natsumi set her bowl for popcorn at her side and sat back, relaxed as the television played one of her favorite shows. "…And no Stupid Frog or Stupid Frog friends to talk during the show…"

She frowned as there was a knock on the door, and started to stand up to answer when Fuyuki rushed down the stairs, "Got it, Nee-chan!"

"Momoka? Chandi?" Natsumi frowned as the two girls walked in, then narrowed her eyes at Rokiki.

"Mora doesn't trust me to walk home alone," Chandi sighed. "He won't bother anyone, I promise."

"I'll just sit here," Rokiki answered, taking a seat beside Natsumi.

"Wha… I… Fuyuki!"

"Thanks, Nee-chan!" Fuyuki shouted, and was back upstairs with the rest of the occult club. Natsumi sighed in defeat, and Rokiki looked up at her a few moments.

"There's a show on woodworking a few channels up," Rokiki said, breaking the silence.

"Don't tell me you want to watch that stuff!" Natsumi said with disgust, and Rokiki looked to her with a glare.

"It's good to have skills… Take yourself, for instance. You think you'll get anywhere on your looks?"

Natsumi was prepping to punch the dark red Keronian when there was a knock on the door.

"What now…?" she grumbled, standing and opening the door once more.

"Lupa-chan says she left something here, I'm just here to eat," Chunini said cheerfully as she pointed to the purple Keronian.

"Well, you can't—"

"Don't worry, I will take care of the cooking," Lee was already tying on an apron as she walked past Natsumi.

"W-Wait, I…"

"Roki-kun! Did you see they're having that show about woodworking on?!" Chunini said excitedly as she hopped onto the couch next to Rokiki.

"Where… Where is everyone?" Lupapa asked, turning around to Natsumi curiously.

"Some place I'm sure I wish I was," Natsumi sniffed, her shoulders slumped.

"Ah, Lupa-chan's just here to see Doro-kun for a little while longer!"

"Don't you "Lupa-chan" me you wench!" Lupapa snarled, and Rokiki had to hide his flushing a bit by looking away from them.

"…This can't get any worse…" Natsumi groaned, but then it did, as Romama allowed himself in, and looked about curiously for Keroro.

"He's not here… None of your were supposed to be…" Natsumi moaned quietly.

Natsumi was just about to shut the door when it burst open again, and she was tackled to the ground by several more Keronians, these ones all too familiar to her.

"N-Natsumi-dono!" Keroro wept, clinging onto her in an embrace, while Kirere did the same. "Ojiisama!" he cried out, now hugging onto an off-guard Romama.

"Nee-chan?!" Fuyuki rushed down the stairs, Chandi and Momoka following.

"…Fu…. Fuyuki-dono!" Keroro wept real tears now, and knocked down Fuyuki with an embrace.

"Momotchi!" Tamama gasped happily.

Natsumi eased herself up, with Kirere still clinging on firmly to her, "What… What happened to all of you? I thought you were supposed to be away!"

"There was a slight change in plans," Giroro said as coolly as possible, although inside he wept happily at the sight of Natsumi.

"It was really weird, we went to Keron, but it was—" the platoon men were quick to quiet the girl, Tamama putting her in a headlock and Keroro placing both hands over her mouth.

"I… It was cultural appreciation day, Natsumi-dono!" Keroro said with a chuckle.

"Lupapa-dono," Dororo walked past the group to her.

Lupapa looked at him in the strange outfit for a moment, and blinked, as if she were slowly remembering something. Rokiki sunk into his seat and turned up the volume on the TV. Chunini smiled widely at this scene.

"You should kiss her now, that'd be so cute!" Chunini said with a squeal. Lupapa removed one of the jade orbs from her hat, and threw it at Chunini. Chunini dodged out of the way, and Rokiki took it right to the side of the head.

"I can't believe you used to play a boy!" Kirere shouted out loud, and Chunini's smile fell, and her face went red. Lee faltered in the kitchen, dropping the colander from her hands.

"How did she….?" Romama started quietly.

"Y-You… You told her, you little monster!?" Chunini said through gritted teeth, pointing to Romama. "What else have you told your little girlfriend?!"

"We aren't like that!" Romama shouted back.

"So you'll keep it safe?" Kirere asked, and Giroro nodded, taking the photograph and placing it in his lock box. He then looked up at the tree in the back of the Hinata household—Dororo and Lupapa sat on a branch, looking out and not saying much to one another.

"Well, I'm off," Chunini huffed as she walked out into the backyard, looked up at the same sight, and rolled her eyes. "I hope I wasn't disturbing anything."

"You weren't!" Kirere said happily.

"What are you doing out here, Chunini?" Giroro asked, and she looked at him a bit haughtily.

"I can't explain it, but I felt like I owed you a thank you for something," Chunini said with a shrug, then yawned. "The traveling must be getting to me..." she murmured, and turned away from them.

"So I guess they didn't remember us…" Kirere said quietly, a bit of disappointment in her voice.

"It's for the best…" Giroro reassured her. The girl perked up suddenly, and smiled widely.

"We should find another worm hole next week! I want to see what it was like for you when you were younger!" she exclaimed.

"We… We really don't need to get into that…" Giroro said, clearing his throat.

"What? Why not?" Kirere blinked. "Come on, tell me!"

"When you're older," he answered, returning to poking at the fire, and the girl replied with a small mutter. He only smirked at this, and patted her on the head.


	24. Haruki: I'm in Love! Pt1

Episode 12:  
Haruki: I'm in Love?!  
Part 1

"You get that information, kid? It's vital to our operation," Haruki said to Kirere as the little girl walked in, and she smiled and held up the printout. He'd been going through his mail as he stood there, and after looking at a particular silver-sealed envelope, he grumbled and tossed it in the can, "…Kirere, you're a lifesaver!"

"You promise you're going to do it today, Haruki? You promise?" Kirere asked with worry, and Haruki nodded. "Haruki!"

"Yeah, yeah, what?"

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise!" he sighed and placed the printout in a pocket of his work uniform.

"What're you two idiots chattering away about now? We have a schedule to keep!" Rokiki snapped from the front counter; the red Keronian was typing away at the ancient computer on the front desk of Haruki's workshop, his back turned to both of them.

"….You realize if he was in charge humans like me would be in big trouble, right?" Haruki sighed.

"Haruki's going to ask Mama on a date finally!" Kirere piped up, and Haruki yelped, and reached, picking up the little girl and covering her mouth with his hand.

Rokiki gave a snort, "That woman's out of your league. She's a warrior, you're both lowly grease monkeys."

"Hey, last time I checked your girlfriend wasn't exactly up to your par, either!" Haruki snapped, and Rokiki spun around, nearly toppling off the stack of phone books laid atop the rickety stool he had to balance off.

"And who would that be?"

"Mora-san's not your girlfriend?" Kirere pondered.

"No! We're nothing like that! What would even give you fools that idea?!"

"Well, the way she bosses you around, for one," Haruki replied.

"And how she packs you lunch everyday!"

"And she made you that hat, didn't she?"

"I'm living there on my own accord! I could move out any time I like!" Rokiki turned back around to his desk. "Love's for idiots like you two, anyway. I swore it off a long time ago."

"Lupapa-san! What're you doing here?!" Kirere exclaimed. Rokiki turned around again, this time falling off of his stool and taking the books and stool with him. "…Nah, it was just a shadow…"

"…You really are going to turn out like him if no one keeps a close eye on you," Haruki sighed, and stood, walking over to Rokiki and fixing his stool. "Well, hopefully she'll be there… I've been practicing this for months!"

"…That's really sad, Haruki…" Kirere said quietly, and the mechanic hung his head.

"I know…" he said quietly, and Rokiki sputtered and grumbled as he climbed back up onto his stool.

"She's just going to reject you. You're old, have nothing going for you, and you can't make friends with one normal person of your own species."

"I don't think that's a description that fits only me," Haruki said plainly, and Rokiki flinched.

"…I'm taking a drink break. If I pass out, drag me over to a shady spot," Rokiki called out as he walked out of the garage.

"…I live in fear that if this doesn't go well I'm going to be him," Haruki said with a sigh, then clenched his fists. "Let's finish this then hurry!"

"Yeah! You got it!" Kirere exclaimed.

Hours of work later, Kirere rode beside Haruki on her bike, while the human mechanic focused on the road ahead, in lieu of making his usual conversation with the girl.

"….She's probably not even home, and I'm getting all worked up for nothing!" Haruki chuckled. "It's not that short of a drive, you can make it the rest of the way home, right?"

"Haruki! I had a hard time finding out the answers to things like what Mama's favorite flower and restaurant are!"

"Hey, I have it! Maybe you could ask her for me!"

"…Papa and Dad both said I'm allowed to."

"You've talked about it!?"

"Mama!" Kirere called out, and waved to Aki. The manga editor was in the middle of removing her helmet and replacing a few stray hairs that had fallen in front of her face. "Haruki has something to tell you!"

"Hrm? Suzuyama-san? What is it?" Aki blinked, and Haruki nearly fell off of his bike. He shot a glare towards the little Keronian girl, but she missed this, instead zooming on her bike to the backyard.

"Well, I… I was just wondering…. Didyouneedanythingthatneededrepairing?! AwashermaybeortheTV?!" Haruki's sentences came out quickly and Aki needed a moment to recover from this, before giving a small laugh.

"Not really… Is that all? You're flushed, it must be this heat wave we're having!" she dismounted her bike, and Haruki spoke quietly, his eyes on the street.

"Yes, that…. No! It's not it! I… I was wondering… If you were free for dinner sometime next week! My treat! If that doesn't work, we can get together some other time!" Haruki shouted out, his eyes shut.

"Gero?" while this exchange took place outside, the air inside was thick. Keroro was walking past with the last of his chores—a basket of laundry—When he became aware of the heavy aura coming from the front window. It was Natsumi, although she wasn't normal, cranky Natsumi. This Natsumi had a glowing ring of rage about her.

"…I know this anger…" Keroro said to himself, and took a few steps back from her. "It's… An anger familiar to me… This must mean… Natsumi-dono's found out about my latest operation to place a giant flag atop Pekopon's topmost peak, therefore showing Keron's dominance! I have to abort quickly! Abort! Abort!" he ran back toward the base yelling this, but Natsumi paid no mind to him; she was still focused on what was going on outside.

"Nee-chan, have you seen my—N-Nevermind!" Fuyuki had also begun to approach Natsumi, but stopped as he watched his sister begin to rip the curtain she'd been holding onto right in half. "….She… She must have found out I taped over her show…" he said in a quiet panic, and also vanished from Natsumi.

"Suzuyama-san…" Aki said quietly, and Haruki continued on.

"I-If you don't want to take a bike, it's all right, I've got a car, too! I just don't like use it because it wastes gas! But I—"

"Suzuyama-san, I appreciate your asking, but…" she gave an apologetic smile to him, "…I'm more work and family-oriented at this point in my life. And Suzuyama-san has his own business and family to worry about. I do think you're a very nice man, though!"

"S-So that's a no?"

"That's a no," Aki nodded affirmingly. "I hope it doesn't hurt your feelings…."

"No. It doesn't," Haruki shook his head, and then laughed. It was an off-pitched, loud laugh, a little too high to be sincere. "After all, I'm a grown man, I get over things like this easily!"

"…He was like this last night, too!" Kirere brought Giroro into the small dank apartment by the hand, and Giroro remained in the doorway, looking in at the sight before him; Haruki was in bed, his back turned to them all, and Rokiki was atop him, screaming and trying various methods to get Suzuyama out of bed. "I don't know what to do!"

"All because some woman turned you down? Heh, have some decorum about it at least! You're an adult!" Giroro snapped, hopping up on the bed beside Rokiki.

"…Maybe this was a mistake…" Kirere's shoulders slumped as she watched no change from Haruki. She was only disturbed at the sight of the two Keronians yelling at Haruki in unison, "…They look more like brothers than Ojiisama and Dad!" she said to herself.

"You'll find someone else, you idiot! What makes you think that she was into you in the least, anyhow?! I warned you, didn't I?!" Rokiki snapped. "Someone will be stupid enough to think you're worth something!"

"Yeah… Maybe… But for now…." Haruki muttered.

"….Get… Get out of your apartment and stop sulking, or you're grounded!" Giroro stuttered. "That's an order!"

"….What the hell what that?" Rokiki asked after a dead silence. "You're a soldier, not a nanny!"

"It always works with Kirere, I didn't think this would be any different…" Giroro hung his head, and hopped off of the bed. Kirere, meanwhile, hopped up, and nudged Haruki gently on the shoulder.

"…You'll find someone different. Not like Mama, but they call them crushes because you're supposed to get crushed," Kirere said plainly, and Rokiki's face shown surprise at this statement.

Haruki rolled over on his cot, and smiled a little bit. He then laughed, and sat up, and Kirere joined in the laugh.

"I… I guess you're right, kiddo. Come on, let's go fix engines until we can't feel our fingers!" he exclaimed, and Kirere immediately lit up at this prospect.

"Let's do it!" she yelled, and he lifted her up, and propped her on his shoulder, and then both took off, Haruki picking up his tool bag along the way.

"I'll never understand the relationship those two have," Rokiki sighed and shook his head. "I just won't."

"It's a unique one," Giroro answered. "Didn't you ever have a friend you'd do anything for?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with me," Rokiki answered, and folded his arms. "I have some orders to get to. I can't waste my time on things like crushes and other immature outbursts."

"….How they put up with someone that foul-tempered all of the time is what I consider the biggest mystery here," Giroro snorted, and glanced down at the ground. "…Giro? She'd lose her tail if it wasn't stuck on…" he grunted and picked up the set of keys on the ground, its owner apparent by the yin-yang keychain.

He walked into the garage to return these to Kirere, and found the garage in full swing, "Kirere, you forgot your—AHH!" was the yell he gave as he was trampled by a pair of brown boots that rushed into the Garage.

Haruki quickly scooped up Kirere and Rokiki in one swoop, and before they could say anything, both had been tossed into the trunk of the car he'd been working on. For extra measure, Haruki took a seat atop the car trunk. He clenched his teeth at the sound of the scraping metal; he'd forgotten to remove a screwdriver from his back pocket, and it'd dug into the paint. He prayed the blonde woman didn't say anything about the pounding noises coming from the car trunk.

"I'm so sorry for disturbing you during work, I truly am!" the blonde woman bowed over and over, which took Haruki aback. "Please excuse me! Please!"

"It… It's all right. Are you here to pick up your car?"

"Actually… I came to ask about this…" she said in a whisper, and held out a flyer to him while still bowed. Haruki hopped off the car trunk and walked over her, taking hold of the flier and reading it over.

"I… I don't remember okaying this… Eh?" he glanced in the bottom left corner; 699 Printing, "….You're joking. They didn't! Where was this?!"

"In the alien market, taped up in a shop window. I hope it's all right that I came during this time of the day! I hope I'm not too late for the job position! I was hoping that it wouldn't be filled already, so I rushed over here! You don't find a Pekoponian looking to hire aliens specifically a lot…."

"Eh…?" at this point, Giroro had regained consciousness, and he gave a grunt. Haruki's eyes went wide, and he kicked a bucket from the table down onto the corporal. He flinched at the sound of the yell and the crunching noise that followed; he'd sworn that barrel had been empty.

"The hours are really bad, so, I don't think you could… And honestly, the pay is crap," then Haruki looked into her eyes; they were pleading. He was silent for a few more moments, all the while she looked close to tears. "….You'll have to answer a couple of questions, and I'm afraid they're a little weird… You are an alien, right?"

She looked up at him, a smile on her face, "Mm. Nee-chan and I have visited lots of planets, but Pekopon's the latest one we live on. We're determined to make our way here!"

"…Believe it or not, that's a great answer…. Can you start tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Thank you, thank you, thank you! I won't be late, I promise!" she bowed all her way out the door.

"Oh! Hey, what's your name, anyway?"

"Lavie," she answered with a smile, and then was gone. Haruki blinked a few times, standing in the silence and going over his own thoughts.

"….Wow… She was…. Kinda cute, hehe!" Haruki leaned against the car trunk, and stood there, in awe, until there again came a pounding. "EH?! Oh, no!"

"Suzuyama!" Rokiki growled from inside the trunk. "OPEN this NOW!" From the barrel came similar pounding and yelling for Haruki's blood.

"I'm sunk…." Haruki said with a groan.

"So I'm sorry I didn't ask you, all right? I know we're usually partners in everything, but… You didn't see her! She really wanted the job, and... I said I'm sorry!" Haruki stopped sweeping the shop for a few moments, but Kirere continued on, with her own child-sized broom and dustpan. It was the following day, and although time had passed, the black eye that Rokiki had delivered Haruki was still fresh.

"…I get to hire the next cute guy then!" she said with a frown, continuing to sweep. Haruki gave a laugh and smiled, leaning against his broom.

"That's a deal! I can't wait for you to see her, and tell me what you think! It looks like after I found you, things started looking up for me!" he admitted.

"Excuse me? I hope I'm not late!" Kirere turned her head at the sound of the bell ringing, signaling someone new in the shop.

"556's sister?" Kirere said to herself as she stood and watched the rabbit-eared woman walk over to Haruki, and then bow in front of the mechanic. Haruki was taken aback, and stiffly returned the bow. "….And Haruki? This… This is so cute!" she said to herself, placing her hands on either side of her face. Rokiki nearly jumped at the girl's star-struck look as he passed by her.

"Wh-What the hell are you looking like that for?!" Rokiki demanded. "Stop it already! Be a professional!"

"Huh? Oh! You're Nii-chan's friend's friend's daughter!" Lavie turned to Kirere, and the girl smiled and waved them off politely.

"Don't mind me! I'm just going to help Rokiki-san with the paperwork!" Kirere answered, and rushed out of the garage as quickly as she could. Rokiki heard a crash moments afterward, and went to investigate.

"You're a natural at this!" Haruki exclaimed as Lavie tightened the last bolt, and then the alien woman stood and wiped her forehead. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, and Haruki, a bit confused by this sudden shift of attention, looked over to the corner. "…What? The boxes? Did… You need them for something?"

"N-No, I couldn't take them from you!" she sputtered, and hurried back to work. "You've been kind enough already!"

"I'm just going to throw those out, anyway. It'd actually be a big favor if you did take them!" Haruki took a step back and scratched the back of his head. "You know, the last Earthling who worked here had a thing for boxes, too… Weird."

"See! I told you!" Kirere rushed over the visitors she'd brought back with her to the darkened junkyard, and pulled along Giroro. Keroro, Tamama, and Dororo were close behind. Just as Dororo was peering up to look, Keroro hopped onto his back without a word and glanced in to the work area.

"Gero?!" the green Keronian exclaimed, and Dororo stumbled a bit as he tried to retain balance. "What a strange combination!"

"They're hitting it off! This is just like in the movies!" Kirere whispered.

"I would have never believed it if I hadn't seen it," Giroro admitted. "Who does that bastard think he is, going from one crush to another so quickly?!"

"Kirere!" Haruki called in the garage, and stood up and looked to the back. "Time to close up shop!"

"Kire! He doesn't know I left!" she yelped, and rushed back inside. "Wait for me here! I'll be right back out!"

"Heh. I bet anything he has no clue who she is," Giroro grunted.

"I have to go now. I'm sorry if I was any trouble today, I really am!"

"It... It's all right, really… You… You have all of those?" he blinked as he saw now that the cute petite girl also possessed above-average strength, lifting up three of the wooden boxes and stumbling a bit, and then gaining her balance.

"I'll be fine, you've done enough already, really!" she said in her mousey tone, and stumbled out of the garage door, and Haruki waited until the door shut behind her before doing anything. And what he did was lift up Kirere as soon as she entered the garage, panting, and tossed her up in the air, catching her and then spinning her around once.

"I guess you have a good feeling about this!" Kirere giggled, and Haruki set her down. She struggled to find her balance, but fell on the floor and laughed some more.

"Makes up for everything else that's been happening to me lately, that's for sure!" Haruki placed a hand on the back of his head and laughed. "You're going to need to find out everything you can about her, all right, Kiddo? If I'm not going to mess this up, I'm going to need your help again!"

"No problem, I already know things about her!" Kirere answered confidently, her hands on her side. "Her brother's my Ojiisan's friend!"

"I think you're my little good luck charm. I couldn't hire anyone decent before you showed up! Now I get a nice girl! That's some luck!"

"There were people before me?" Kirere looked a bit hurt at this, and Haruki looked upward thoughtfully.

"I didn't even know about aliens then! It was only one guy, come to think of it. He was so scary I swore off hiring anyone else for a long time!" Haruki replied. "He about destroyed my shop! It was just a repair shop before he worked here… The junk out back is what he did to my first garage!"

"Wow! Hehe, not even I'm that bad!" Kirere laughed. "Haruki, what was his name?"

"I've tried to remember… All I remember is that laugh," he muttered. "…That I'll never forget, no matter how hard I try… He never stopped laughing…."

Kirere, at this point, stopped laughing, "Haruki… He didn't wear a helmet a lot, did he?..."

"Wow, come to think of it, he did! How'd you know, some alien power you didn't tell me about?"

"O-Oh, just a lucky guess!" Kirere replied, and stood, backing away. "I… I think I heard my dad calling me again, I have to go!"

"Your dad?" Haruki muttered, and held out a hand to her, but she was already gone. He could swear he heard a scream from outside. He shrugged this off as another Kirere eccentricity, and began to clean up the garage.

While he went out the door to fetch his broom, Rokiki walked back in, a stack of bills in hand.

"…If that idiot doesn't start paying his bills…" Rokiki grumbled, and pulled over a trash can. Something atop the can caught his eye, however. It was the silver-colored seal on the front of the envelope. The red Keronian looked to his left, then his right, and pulled it out of the trash. It was a moment later Haruki walked back in, and Rokiki jumped, and shoved the envelope beneath his helmet.

"…What're you staring at me like that for?" Haruki stopped and asked.

"I… I'm just trying to hold off everything to not give you a matching black eye for not keeping up with these, Suzuyama!" Rokiki shouted, and Haruki resumed his cleaning. While his back was turned, Rokiki pulled out the envelope again, and pulled out the letter inside it.

"…This… This is…."


	25. Haruki: I'm in Love! Pt2

Episode 12:  
Haruki: I'm in Love?!  
Part 2

"It's kinda fun to watch… I didn't think Kiichi could do that, too!" Giroro heard as he made his way into the meeting room that following morning. Kirere had been acting bizarre the evening before, leaving the Corporal wondering what exactly he was going to walk into. He made sure he had a gun at his side before venturing any further.

The others were already gathered in the meeting room, and Giroro took a few steps forward before losing contact with the floor, and falling into a deep trench. He gave a yelp as Kirere, walking a circle in the same trench. After he had successfully pulled himself out of the hole, he realized she'd been the one who made it.

"Ki… Kirere, is there something you'd like to talk about?"

"Keep going, Kirere-chan, and we'll have room for a hottub!" Keroro exclaimed. One shot to the face from Giroro later, Keroro was laid out on the ground, while Giroro lifted Kirere up from the trench and knelt down to her eye-level.

"What happened last night?" he asked, and she looked away. Her mouth twitched a bit, and then came the long, drawn-out, and indecipherable sentences. Giroro took about ten seconds of this, and placed a hand atop her head. "…Do you feel better?"

"…Yes."

"Would you mind explaining what's going on, then?"

Kirere took a deep breath, to calm herself and put her in the correct mindset, "Haruki likes Lavie-san, but he fired 556, and 556 scares him, but he doesn't know that that's Lavie-san's brother, and he's going to get hurt again because of me!"

"This is why I don't bother with love, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled from his seat. Another shot, and Kururu went flying. Giroro set down his gun and looked down at the little girl.

"We'll figure out something, Kirere. Don't worry about it…"

"Like what? I can't think of anything! He's going to meet him, she works again today! It's only a matter of time!" she exclaimed, flailing her arms about.

"We… Well…" Giroro looked about; he hated being put on the spot, especially intellectually. "We'll just have to… Keep them from meeting until we can think of something better!"

"That's the best of you can do, kukuku!?" Kururu coughed from his place on the floor. Giroro went to cock his gun at the scientist again, but Kirere quickly spoke up.

"It's going to have to do for now," Kirere replied unsurely.

"You know something's bound to go amiss when even I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach," Keroro muttered.

"Thank you for walking with me to work, Nii-chan! Hopefully things will start looking up for you soon!" Lavie walked along side her older brother down the pavement, while Kogoro, his hands on his hips, laughed along the way.

"EH?! AHAHAHA!" something shiny caught his attention, as it often did. While Lavie walked down the street, serenely, Kogoro went off on his own, following the glittering object.

"GO!" he exclaimed, lifting up the 100 yen in victory. There was something else that quickly caught his eye—a few more steps, and he had another 100 yen. And there was another, further down. He seemed to pay no heed that this led into a construction site.

"Kururu Soucho, how's it going?" asked Keroro through his headset.

"Oh, it's going, Teicho. Kuuuukukuku!" Kururu laughed from his spot hidden behind one of the construction beams.

Tamama, meanwhile, hopped from one bar of rebar to another, balancing on it precariously and even bending down and laying another coin atop one of the rebar stakes. He gave a groan as he saw Kogoro was catching up, and sped up his pace.

"Kid, are… You okay today?" Haruki looked down at the Keronian girl, and Kirere gave another twist of the wrench; she gave a yelp as the bolt she'd been tightening came completely off.

"I'm fine!" she kicked the bolt out of the way, gritting her teeth at the pain from kicking it sent up her spine, and had to hold back tears as she looked up at Haruki, as casual as possible. "I've never been better!"

"…If you're sure," Haruki raised an eyebrow. "…Why don't you take five and get something to eat? You look really pale."

"R-Right, good idea," Kirere nodded, and rushed out. At this moment, Rokiki looked up from his magazine, and spoke to Haruki with his back turned.

"Are you going to wait until now or later to break her heart?" Rokiki asked, and Haruki was taken aback. The red Keronian held up the envelope he'd found in the trash, and the tension in the room suddenly became much, much heavier.

"I don't see what the big deal is. It was in the trash for a reason," Haruki shrugged and went back to work on the car engine. "Wow, she really cleaned that! We're going to have to replace that whole part… Crap."

"And really you think you'll be able to run from it all?" Rokiki asked. Haruki stopped working on the engine and smiled hopefully.

"I've been doing well enough this long. Plus I have my living good luck charm with me. It'll work out," Haruki answered, and then came the ringing of the front door.

"I'm sorry I'm late! My brother's gone missing, I tried looking for him everywhere! I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lavie bowed continually, and Haruki set down his tools and walked over to her. Rokiki rolled his eyes and took a long swig from his coffee cup, then went back to his magazine.

"What? Calm down. Where'd you last see him?" Haruki asked, and Lavie put a hand to her mouth and looked away, trying to remember.

"I think it was… Just before the construction site. What? What're you doing?" she asked in her tiny voice as Haruki removed his gloves and then went to work untying the bandanna he had over his hair.

"Helping you find him. He can't be too far…"

"What? Oh, you couldn't, you've done so much already!" Lavie gasped.

"For a nice girl like you, it's an honor," Haruki answered. From his desk, Rokiki made a gagging noise, then hopped off of his stool, his coffee mug in hand.

"I'm going to need something stronger if this is how it's going to be," he muttered, shuffling off toward the refrigerator.

"Maybe if we hurry we'll have a better shot of finding him. He can't be that far away!" Haruki exclaimed, grabbing both his helmet and an extra one he kept by the front door.

"Thank you," Lavie took the helmet and bowed gratefully again, and just as Kirere was walking in, a plate of curry in hand, Haruki was dashing out with Lavie. The plate slipped from her hand onto the floor, crashing, and she rushed out—It was too late. She shouted, but her yells were drowned out by the revving of Haruki's bike.

Rokiki walked out onto the porch and watched them zoom off, and was just about to take a drink from his coffee mug when Kirere took him by the arm and pulled him to her bike.

"What in the hell are you doing?!" Rokiki demanded.

"We're going after them! He can't know that's 556's sister, it's too soon for him to have another heartbreak!" Kirere exclaimed.

Rokiki looked in the mug, shrugged, and finished it off in one chug. He nonchalantly tossed it over his shoulder, and Kirere took off from the garage at full speed. Rokiki nearly fell off, and clutched onto the child tightly.

"Where did you learn to drive?!" he growled.

"Ojiisan and Papa! Don't worry, they worked with me until I stopped destroying bikes!" she laughed, and Rokiki clenched up in horror.

"One, two, three, and—What the hell?! Who are you?! What're you doing here?!" Romama stopped his daily dance practice in front of the mirror of his home as he became aware of the tall man scouring his floor. The man picked up a yen coin, and gave another victory laugh. "Get the hell out of here!" Romama snarled.

"Ahahahaha! Go! Go!" Kogoro laughed, and through the ceiling he went. Romama, for a moment, stood there, stunned as the rubble fell down on him gently, like a snowfall.

"My… My roof…" he squeaked.

"Ojiisama!" Keroro panted and rushed into the room via the new skylight, riding his saucer.

"What did I tell you about visiting me here?!" Romama demanded. "Was he with you?! He owes this building a new roof!"

"Ah, relax, Ojiisama, there aren't even classes today, right?" Keroro waved him off, and Romama clenched his fists.

"I live here! It's supposed to rain today, and I don't have a tarp! What am I supposed to do?!"

"…Gero… It does make for a nice shower…." Keroro replied, and Romama gripped him by the neck. "Gerroooo! We'll fix it, we'll fix it!"

"Ojiisan!" Kirere's voice turned their attention to the fresh hole in the roof, and they looked up—She was on her bike, a shaken Rokiki as her passenger. "We have a problem!"

"Gero?" Keroro blinked, and Romama let go of his grip on his nephew's neck.

"Looks like it could rain soon…" Haruki said as he looked up at the sky, and Lavie nodded. The two had gotten off of the bike, and decided to look through the last place she'd seen her brother by foot.

"I hope he remembered his umbrella," Lavie wiped her eyes and sniffed.

"We'll find him, Lavie-san," Haruki reassured her, and as he turned away from her, his shoulders slumped. "I'm such a jerk… I know she's worried but I can't help but thinking this sort of counts as a date…"

"Kururu Soucho, he should be coming your way!" Keroro said through the headset. Kururu was now located on the ledge of a bridge, and gave a laugh.

"That he is, Teicho. I have visual. Kuuukuku!"

"Kururu! Are you sure this safe?!" Giroro called down from the small rowboat he was in. Kururu gave a shaking hand gesture, showing uncertainty, and then gave another laugh.

"Less talking, more rowing," Kururu called down to him. Giroro gave a grumble, and did just this.

"I'll show him to smart off to me later," Giroro grumbled. "For now, just go on with this idiocy…"

"He's coming!" Tamama called out, rushing to Kururu and climbing onto the same rail the scientist stood on. "Where do I put this one?" he panted and held up the last of his yen coins. Kururu simply pointed to the river below, and Tamama tilted his head, puzzled.

"Kuku, try it…"

The young tadpole did so, and watched the coin as it fell, then bounced right back up, "What?!"

"Kukuku! He should be here soon. Quick!" Kururu hid behind one of the stone pillars of the bridge. Tamama did the same, and the two watched in secret as Kogoro, his pockets full of 100-yen coins, walked up. He caught a glimpse of the last coin, laying serenely on top of the water, as if it were magic.

"Ahahaha! A worthy challenger!" Kogoro struck a pose, and leapt. Giroro hadn't fastened the clear rubber tarp fully at this point, so when Kogoro jumped and bounced back off, his small rowboat tipped over, and he fell into the river.

Kogoro, meanwhile, went soaring. Both Kirere and Rokiki and Keroro and Romama were there in time to see him take flight into the sky, as were Lavie and Haruki, although Haruki could not get a good look at her brother's face.

When Kogoro landed, it was on the bridge. Head first.

Kururu took out his calculator, and typed in a few numbers, "Looks like I didn't take into account he'd be weighted by all of those coins. Oops. Kuuuukukuku!"

"You'll be just fine, Nii-chan! The doctor said as soon as you're out of your cast, you'll be good as new!" Lavie pushed out of the emergency room what looked like a stiff mummy in a wheelchair, but as in fact Kogoro in his new full-body cast. Something like a muffled laugh came from inside the cast. "That's right, Nii-chan! Stay strong!"

Haruki had been sitting on a park bench beside Kirere, and stood as Lavie rolled up to them, her brother giving another muffled laugh.

"He's going to be all right, the doctors told us!" Lavie said happily, tears forming in her eyes.  
"That… That's great!" Haruki exclaimed. "I understand if you need to take a few days off…"

"Actually," she looked up at Haruki apologetically, "Nii-chan's going to need my help for a while. I… I'm sorry, but…. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"No, it's all right," Haruki nodded. "I understand… He needs a lot of help."

"It's not just that," Lavie answered. "Nii-chan's my only family here. We have to watch out for one another!"

This statement struck Haruki like a bolt of lightning, and Kirere was puzzled by the stunned expression this left Haruki with.

"Thank you, Suzuyama-san," Lavie gave a bow to the mechanic once more, then smiled and wheeled away with Kogoro. "Come on, Nii-chan! I found you some new boxes! That always makes you smile!"

Kogoro answered with another laugh.

"….Haruki...?" Kirere squeaked. "I'm sorry it didn't work out…"

"It's all right," Haruki turned to her and smiled. It was a hollow smile, though, and Kirere could see right through it. "She's right. Family comes first. That's something I never heard a lot of growing up, so I guess I forgot all about it. Let's get you home to yours, all right?"

"Right," Kirere nodded weakly, and couldn't help but notice the still-disturbed look on Haruki's face.

Meanwhile, at the river, a lone figure sat in his boat still, a large net in the bottom at his feet, "Teicho-dono? Are you still there? It's been quite some time, is everything all right?" Dororo asked, but found no answer. "Hello?! Keroro-kun?!"

The following morning, Kirere drove up to the junkyard, already feeling something amiss. Her suspicions heightened as she parked outside, and found the repair shop and gates locked. Outside stood Rokiki, his arms folded and in one hand an envelope.

"Is Haruki sick? Are bill collectors after him again?" she asked as she hopped off of her bike. Rokiki only answered by holding out the envelope to her. Kirere took it and opened it, and Rokiki looked away from her as she did so.

"Wow, two rejections in one day, that's pretty rough," Fuyuki admitted as he prepared his lunch in the kitchen, and Natsumi only snorted as she passed by.

"Serves him right! Causing Mama all of that trouble…" Natsumi grumbled.

"That's a little cold, Nee-chan," Fuyuki admitted, and Keroro, leaning on his mop, nodded in agreement.

The front door opened, and the green Keronian looked past the counter. Kirere rushed in, and Rokiki followed in after, at a much slower pace, and holding two envelopes now.

"Kirere-chan? What's she doing here so early?" Keroro wondered aloud.

Rokiki placed the envelope Kirere had received in Keroro's hand, and it didn't take long for the green Keronian to open it and scan over it, Fuyuki and Natsumi, over his shoulder, also reading it.

"Kirere… I'm sorry this is so short notice, but Lavie-san was right. Family comes first, and now I need to go back to mine," Giroro read it aloud in the living room, where a group, including the Platoon, as well as the Occult Club, Mora, Rokiki, and Romama, sat, listening to the letter. Kirere was the only absent one. "…I had a lot of fun, but now it's time for me to stop running. I'm sorry to drop this on you so quickly. You're the best friend anyone can ask her. The shop's in yours and Rokiki's hands now. Hire all of the cute guys you want, and best of luck to you in life. Your friend, Haruki."

"That jerk!" Mora snapped, and she immediately covered her mouth with her hands as her outburst drew the attention of the group. "S-Sorry… I have issues…"

"No kidding," Tamama deadpanned.

"So he just left her? Just like that? Could you say, the rug pulled out from beneath you?" Mois chimed in.

"How is Kirere-chan taking it?" asked Dororo.

"Tch, I'll put it this way; even I'm getting more depressed looking at her. Kuuuukuku!"

"I don't like the bill-dodger, but him walking out on someone isn't his style. Usually we can't get rid of him!" Natsumi folded her arms and looked down at the letter in Giroro's hands. "There's got to be a reason for this."

"Nee-chan, what're you suggesting?" Fuyuki wondered, and Natsumi opened one eye and looked to her brother.

"That we go see what's going on with him. Let's face it, as much as Stupid Frog and his friends break, it's not enough for just Kirere to fix," Natsumi replied.

"We don't even know where to start looking for him," Giroro reminded her, and from a corner there came the sound of a throat clearing, and Rokiki held up the second envelope.

"He took what was inside it before he left, but the address is still on here," Rokiki explained, and handed it to Keroro.

"Hawaii?... All right, we get to go on vacation!" Keroro cheered.

"Ugh!" Natsumi punched him hard atop the head, and took the envelope. "We're going to go find him! Even if we have to drag him back…"

"You don't have to tell me that twice," Giroro spoke as he loaded one of his guns, and was the first to hear the shuffling from the hallway. Kirere looked out at them, and Giroro walked over to her.

"We're going to bring him back, don't worry," Giroro reassured her. She gave a small smile at this, and then lunged at him, embracing him and nearly toppling him over in the process.

"Gero?" Keroro turned his head at the sound of something gently hitting the dark windows.

"Kuku, looks like we're finally getting that rain we were supposed to," Kururu observed.


	26. Botan: Past, Present, Future? Pt1

Episode 13:  
Botan: Past, Present, Future?  
Part 1

This is to make up for the dry spell I suffered from recently, and due to the fact that I'm having to stay inside. It's no coincidence that where I do most of my writing is directly beneath a cold air vent.

Now here's the part where you start to hate me. I did a lot of thinking, and, I rearranged a few things again. This is a continuation, but not in the way you think. This is going on at the same time the Platoon's headed to "rescue" Haruki-I'm really hoping you all don't hate me for doing something like this, but I think you'll like this episode, too. It's kind of a mid-quel, lol. And I *promise* Episode 14 will have the Platoon back in it. And you shouldn't have to wait too long, given that this is supposed to be a heatwave going through ^_^''

Please enjoy!

Love,  
J. "I sort of feel like a heel" Lucy-Daisuke

"Good… Good… Oh, comma error!"

"Bloody hell," Oliver laid his head on the desk and moaned. Fujuju looked up from the printed out paper, and set aside the reading glasses he'd been using, as well as the yellow marker he held in one hand. "It's summer, why are we even doing this!? I should be sleeping in, visiting the arcade with my mates—Anything but using my brain!"

"How's that different than the school year again?" Maggie wondered aloud, and Oliver shot his sister a glare.

"Well, you almost had it!" Fujuju reassured the boy, and set aside his essay. "You did take a risk in that topic… I won't say I particularly enjoyed learning of the different ways in which to kill a garden slug, but you were creative."

"More like sociopathic," Maggie muttered, and Oliver gave her a glare. Their tutor stood up from his seat and gave a nervous grin, sensing tension between the twins.

"I think my muffins are done!" he declared cheerfully as he headed over to his kitchen area.

"Nag…" Oliver muttered from across the table.

"Deviant," Maggie shot back quickly. There came a clanging from the kitchen; a deliberate one just to get the siblings' attention and stop the brewing argument.

"Now, I say that we finish with these, and then, given my promise to you two, you'll choose a destination for our summer learning expedition."

"No one should like learning so much—It's not natural!" Oliver exclaimed.

"You already know where we want to go, you needn't ask us," Maggie said with a sigh, then gave a smile. "It's the only place we can agree on!"

"I just wanna see if I can talk to that one girl again! …Think her name was "Sandi" or something like that… I think we really had something going!"

"Like the beginnings of a restraining order," Maggie snorted.

"I really hope we don't become an annoyance, going over so much…" Fujuju said allowed, a bit of worry in his voice. "Ah, I know. I'll make them something as a peace offering! Oliver, would you help Maggie with my trunk? It's in my bedroom"

"Not the trunk," Oliver grumbled, but soon found himself pulled up from his chair by the ear, and being led to Fujuju's bedroom.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you," she sighed, letting go of her hold on his ear and then walking into the cluttered room. Even the bed was covered in books, and beneath the mound of books, a neglected and dusty comforter.

"Boy, you think he'd be smart enough to throw away that old clunker," Oliver grumbled in the direction of the ancient computer, and Maggie giggled.

"He doesn't like to throw away anything, I don't think," she giggled and leaned in a bit, reading over the screen. While she did this, Oliver opened the closet door, only to have a mass of boxes, books, and science equipment fall out onto him.

"Ugh! This is why he needs a maid! Or a wife! Something!" Oliver grumbled as he rose from the clutter. "You gonna help with this, Mags? Mags?"

"Do they look familiar to you?"

"Eh? Who?" Oliver glanced over his sister's shoulder to the screen, and tilted his head to one side. It was a photo of a young girl; she was turned away, her face hidden to the camera, and standing beside her was a taller man, with wavy hair popping out beneath a fedora-style hat and a while smile on his face; the two looked to be in some sort of park in the old black and white photo.

"…Professor Grant and student," Maggie read the caption beneath it aloud, and Oliver gave an impressed grunt.

"Student? I didn't think girls were allowed to even read back then!"

"…Well you're lucky we are now, or else you would have flunked out of close to everything, wouldn't you have?" Maggie replied, trying her best to control the anger that had built up from this statement. "…His eyes are so familiar!"

"There's only so many kinds of eyes out there. Now come on, this trunk's a team lift!"

"It's a pain to fly with, but it smells fantastic!" Maggie giggled as she soared through the clouds on her broom, the trunk secured tightly on one end. "What's in here, anyway? Cakes?"

"And seven-dozen cookies. And I believe a few pies. Hrm, that's unusual… No one answering…" Fujuju muttered, and looked down at his large, black cell phone. Oliver was aghast at the sight of the old technology, and laughed.

"You're a scientist, right? So why do you use so much old junk when you could build better in your sleep?" Oliver asked in a laugh.

"I don't see the point in getting rid of something that does everything I need it do and isn't broken," Fujuju muttered, then motioned for them to drop down some. All three were nearly knocked off as a blur streaked past them; it was a purple ball that quickly disappeared into the clouds below.

"Is everyone all right?!" Fujuju asked quickly as Maggie and Oliver attempted their best to climb back up onto their respective rides.

"Yes, but… What was that?" asked Maggie.

"I say we find out!" Oliver exclaimed, and zoomed down in the direction of the flying object, Fujuju his captive passenger. Maggie gave a yell of surprise, and quickly followed down after her brother and tutor.

"Are you mad?!" she exclaimed. "Ollie! Get back here!"

"It entered the atmosphere, yet there wasn't any sort of flame…" Fujuju muttered, going over these facts aloud, knowing that they didn't quite make sense….

"Lucky for you, huh?" Oliver chuckled. His smile turned to a look of confusion as he saw exactly where it had landed; in the backyard of the Hinata household.

"…He's not going to be happy with this…" Maggie poked at the rubble that had once been Giroro's tent, while Oliver and Fujuju, also now on the land, went to look for someone, anything.

"Locked up, tight as can be," Oliver muttered as he tugged on the glass door. "Where are they? There's always at least someone home!"

"Perhaps they went on their own trip… I knew it was in poor judgment to come without a word to them…" Fujuju sighed and gave a shake of his head, then looked to his right, and noticed a liquid trail leading to the side of the house. He bent down, touching the warm liquid with his fingers, then broke off in a dash to follow its origin.

"What's he in a hurry over?" asked Oliver.

"Eh?" Maggie bent down and looked at the liquid, and gave a gasp. "It… It's blood!"

"Gross!" Oliver jumped back and nearly gagged at the trail. "Don't touch it, Mags, you don't know where it's been!"

"Well, inside someone, obviously. Come on, you dolt," Maggie sighed, and hurried to the side of the house Fujuju had gone to.

She stopped short at the towering figure, crumpled like a rag doll against the side. Fujuju was in the midst of checking the pulse of the fainted woman, and Maggie bent down in front of her, and lifted up her chin to get a better look at her face. She started to remove the mask, but a hand came up quickly, and gripped onto the young girl's wrist. This was the same hand Fujuju had been taking her pulse with, and the scientist went flying.

"Hey, you, hands off of my sister!" Oliver snapped as he finally turned the corner. The woman started to rise, but again fell down, and clutched onto her side.

"You're hurt," Maggie said quietly, kneeling down in front of her. "…We won't harm you. Are you friends with the people in this house, too?"

"…It's the closest place I could come to," the woman answered, finally speaking, and Maggie turned to Fujuju and Oliver.

"We need someplace to take her, to get—OLLIE!" Maggie yelled out, but it was too late… There was a crash, and Oliver looked up from the busted glass door to his sister, the brick from Giroro's firepit now on the ground of the living room.

"What? It was urgent! Anyway, he can fix it!" Oliver snapped.

"And me without my shoes…" Fujuju sighed as he looked at the shards of glass. He gave a squeak of surprise as Oliver lifted him up, and in his other arm he and Maggie helped the woman walk into the home.

"What an ego!" Oliver muttered as they came upon Kururu's lab, and they passed this, and walked a little further down into the infirmary.

Maggie and Oliver set Botan down on the bed, and the Time Bender flinched a little as she laid down.

"Doesn't look too bad…" Maggie muttered as she examined it. She then glanced up from the cot, and saw what Botan was looking at; Oliver and Fujuju, standing off in the distance. Maggie gave a huff, and slid a divider in front of her and the alien.

"Find her something to wear instead of standing there!"

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" both yelped, and scrambled to do so, bumping into one another as they did so.

"They mean well, really. They're just not good around women," Maggie sighed. "Who are you, anyway?"

Botan only looked quietly off to the side, and Maggie gave a nod of understanding, "Right. You don't know me, either. That's fine, then. I'm Maggie Martin, the other two were my brother Oliver Martin, and our tutor."

"A Keronian."

"Eh? Yeah, that's right," Maggie stood and nodded. "Woah! Calm down, you can't go doing that! You're injured, you have to rest!" Maggie yelped as Botan suddenly started to bolt up, and Maggie held on gently to her hand.

"My staff, it's out there. They can't find it," Botan's voice was even, but still filled with urgency.

"Staff?"

"Maggie, we've got clothes!" Oliver called. "And don't worry, we just stuck to your suitcase!"

He held up one of her bras to show this. Both gave looks of surprise at the glare Maggie shot at them when she pulled back the divider, and she quickly took the folded clothing from both of them, "Now go find her staff! She says she's got it outside still, and it'll make you both useful!"

"….Such a nag…" Oliver grumbled as he stomped away. While they did this, Fujuju caught a glimpse of the woman—Their eyes met for a moment, and the scientist looked away quickly, and followed Oliver out to the back yard.

"…She's kinda a weird looking one, huh?" Oliver said as they began to scour the yard.

"You might be as equally odd-looking to her, remember," Fujuju countered, and lifted up the sharp piece of golden metal. "This… This is…" he blinked, and nearly dropped the metal object.

"What, is it hot?" Oliver asked, and Fujuju shook his head, and backed away from it.

"No, but… I have an idea of what we're dealing with now," he answered numbly.

"My, that's, well… It works!" Maggie tried her best to remain positive, and Botan looked up at her dully; the clothes were obviously too short on the towering Time Bender. The long blue shirt was only ¾ sleeves on her, and the knee length denim skirt was significantly shorter. "…We'll get you something nicer, I promise. At least your wound wasn't so bad, it cleaned up rather nicely!"

"I'll be gone as soon as I get my staff," Botan answered shortly to the girl, still looking through the eared mask.

"That might be a while," Botan's eyes went wide at the sound of a clattering of metal, and Oliver stood in front of them, a cardboard box in hand. "It was supposed to break apart, right?"  
"What?!" her composure faltered for a moment, and she peered in the box.

"We think this is all of it… I dunno, it looks about right though, right?"

"I may be able to piece it back together for you," Fujuju piped up, and she looked down at the Keronian. "It will take a while, but we can do it either here or at my home base."

"Your place or hers, neh?" Oliver chuckled and winked at his tutor. Maggie again grabbed her brother by the ear. "Ow! How'd you get over here so quick, anyway?!"

"Whatever is fastest for you, Keronian," Botan replied. "Time is relative, just finish your work."

Fujuju twitched a smile; her blunt tone was off-putting to him, it was obvious, "W-well, it could take a few days…"

"Those are an irrelevant measurement of time," Botan answered quickly, and Fujuju gave a sigh.

"I'll see what resources they have around here, in the meantime," Fujuju sighed and walked away, only to feel a tapping on his shoulder moments later. He turned to face Maggie, and she gave a nervous grin.

"I forgot my emergency card at home," she whispered. "And, well, if it's going to be a few days…"

"I understand," Fujuju nodded, and pulled out an old worn wallet, and Oliver watched as he passed the girl a card.

"Who gave you credit?!" Oliver wondered in awe. "And why didn't I know about it?!"

"I should have pushed harder for vacationing in the Galapagos, I'm beginning to feel," Fujuju said lightly to himself, and walked toward the workshop area.

"Come on, we'll go out while they're working," Maggie smiled. "Are you well enough to walk? We'll have to get you some things."

"Why are you all doing this? It doesn't seem… Logical to do all of this for a stranger," Botan sat back on the bed, and Maggie giggled a little bit.

"If you're friends with them, we're friends with you. I guess that's just how it works," Maggie answered. "Are you feeling better? It seemed like a painful cut… How'd you get it, anyway?"

Botan fell silent at this, and Maggie's smile fell, "I understand… Oh! While we're out, you might want to…" she motioned removing a mask, and Botan watched her for a moment, and tilted her head down, removing the mask, and looking back up at Maggie. The girl flushed in awe and gave a small gasp.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's just… You're really pretty! Like how my mother was!" an awkward silence followed this, and Maggie walked toward the exit. "Come on, we'll let them be!"

Botan wordlessly followed Maggie, while Oliver and Fujuju went to work unloading the pieces of the staff onto a large table.

"So what's she so freaked out about? I mean, it's just a walking stick, right?" Oliver asked, and Fujuju looked down gravely, adjusting the pieces to show how they might fit.

The scientist gave a shake of the head, "That woman in there is a very, very special type of alien. I'm surprised to see one alive. So many of them were hunted down for their power-warping abilities, it's amazing any survived! I'm embarrassed to admit that the reason I stand before you after millions of years is in part due to stolen technology of theirs."

"What, so, this thing makes you time travel!?"

"There's a lot of adherent power already in here… This just sort of acts as a compass for her powers. Although it would be possible for one who didn't possess her abilities to at least get a few of them with the help of this device. Without it, her powers are unstable. They're too much for any living being to harness without the use of some help. That's what helped to make them such easy targets in my time."

"Man, she's probably had it rough, then! No wonder she just glares at us!"

"Yes, well… Let's keep that in mind while we finish this up for her."

"So no family at all?"

"No," was Botan's one-word reply. The two girls already had their hands full of bags, and Maggie gasped and rushed over to another window. Botan, curious, wandered over to it, looking the models up and down.

"It doesn't look practical," was Botan's reply. Maggie looked at her and laughed a little.

"I guess not, but it's still pretty!" Maggie answered, and looked the tall woman over. "It'd probably look nice on you!"

"That's unlikely," Botan replied flatly, and Maggie laughed and pulled her along into the shop.

"My sister Frannie and I would do this is a lot with Mum over the weekends when I was younger," Maggie explained as she began to search through the racks. "Ollie and Dad would usually have one of Ollie's games. He used to play football before everything."

"What happened?" Botan asked, and Maggie fell silent.

"There was a bad car wreck… They didn't make it, so Frannie started taking care of us," Maggie replied quietly. She then looked up and gave a small smile, "We're still here. And I know they'd want us to go on without them, even if it's hard… Hey, I think I found your size here! It's a nice color, too!"

Maggie was in the process of handing off the dress to Botan when from outside there came a loud crash. It blew out the store windows, and both fell to the ground.

"Time Bender!" the hissing bark came from outside, and through the rubble and dusk came a stocky, muscular alien—Neither knew to identify it as a Viper, but both knew it wasn't in front of them in peace. "Making us follow you to this crappy planet… You better be as powerful as everyone has claimed! This better be worth my time!"

"Hold on tight," Botan said quickly to Maggie as she put an arm around the girl, and just as a net shot out to capture them, they vanished.

"WHAT?!" he seethed, and clenched his teeth. It was bad enough people had begun to circle, taking pictures and thinking it was some sort of stage show, now he'd lost the object of his hunt. The Viper turned around, kicked off some of the debris from his ship, and boarded it once more, zooming away and leaving a stunned crowed.

"Oh… My head!" Maggie moaned, and clenched on to the back of her skull. "It's killing me! Eh?! What happened?!"

She looked around, and noticed the surroundings were completely unlike anything she'd been familiar with on Earth. It looked like a large Greek temple, but outside, as far as she could see, was nothing but purple and black space, with small stars dotting the sky.

There was a fountain of running water, and Maggie caught her reflection for a moment out of the corner of her eye. She then gave a yelp as she did a double-take, and saw she had changed. She looked about ten years older in her reflection, and she looked down at her hands, then examined the rest of herself as best she could.

"That's something that tends to happen without my staff. A slight anomaly, but easily fixed once we're back in our own timeline," the voice was childlike now, and Maggie's head snapped over to it; Botan's too-short clothing was now comically small on the body of the pale child. Adding to this was the fact that the child still wore Botan's dull expression.

"W-Well, can you get us back to normal!? I don't want to be this old yet, I haven't even gone to my first school dance!" Maggie cried out.

"I can try, but I don't know how old we'll be, or what time we will be in."

"W-Where are we exactly, anyway?"

Botan looked over her shoulder, and examined the structure for a moment, "A part of my past. This is my old home."

"That should do it!" Fujuju wiped his forehead and smiled. "It's been years since I've been able to use a welding machine! It's quite a liberating feeling!"

"Yeah, but all of the tools are pink and purple…" Oliver grumbled, and set down the hammer he'd been using. "Maybe we could add something cool to it! Like wings or flames or something! …Or we could just give it back to her."

"There's a good man," Fujuju nodded. "Just needs a good polish, and it should be as good as new!"

"I've got it," Oliver held it up, and Fujuju instantly went into panic mode.

"N-N-Now watch how you handle that, Oliver! You don't know how to work that!" Fujuju reminded him.

"Oh, it's probably nothing big! Don't worry, I'll be careful!" he hit the floor with the one end of the staff, and there was a flash of light… And then he was gone.

"Oliver? Oliver?! Oliver, where did you go?!" Fujuju called out, and began to search through the lab for the boy.


	27. Botan: Past, Present, Future? Pt2

Episode 13:  
Botan: Past, Present, Future?  
Part 2

Oliver, meanwhile, was still in the middle of his confident laughter when opened his eyes and saw that he was no longer in the lab. The laughing stopped abruptly as he saw he was on a familiar street corner—Beside him was the old phone booth that acted as Fujuju's front door. The boy blinked, looked at the staff, then back at the door, "He didn't mention this thing teleported, too! How am I supposed to get back to Japan, anyway?! This thing doesn't have any buttons! Ugh… Well, maybe he has that hammer in his place… Worth a shot…"

He went through the door, closing it behind him, and was immediately struck at how neat and orderly the place was. Oliver looked down that the floor and jerked his head back, "A welcome mat?! Since when did he have one of these? Did… Someone break in just to clean up around here?"

He backed against the door to avoid the stampede that followed—the sound of heavy running feet, and laughing. His draw dropped as he realized they were just children—One, a young tadpole, with skin color a few shades lighter than Fujuju's, yellow eyes and a dark blue cap, as well as the same "E"-shaped symbol on his stomach and cap. The other a normal-looking human girl, aside from the stark white skin and pink eyes. Her hair was a very light shade of pink, and in a bob, and she wore a pink and white sundress The girl was the first to look up and notice Oliver, and her smile fell, and she looked at him with dull surprise.

"What? What's wrong?" the little boy spoke in a British accent, and the white girl spun him around. The Keronian fell back against the girl in surprise, and both took a step back from Oliver.

"R-Really, I'm not gonna hurt you," Oliver stuttered. "I just used this, and…"

"That's our Mum's, give it back!" the Keronian demanded, his voice shaking.

"Mum?!" Oliver's voice cracked. "So wait… That scary woman, and… Fujuju…. You mean they… W-Where are your parents at?"

"Visiting friends in Japan! Our Uncle Oliver's supposed to be watching us, but—" the humanoid girl slapped her hand over her brother's mouth at this point, and lifted him up.

"They're down the street. And they have guns. Big ones. And attack dogs," she said, her face blank.

"U-Uncle Oliver?" Oliver's mouth twitched a bit. "You mean…. This… This may sound a little weird, but… I think I need to sit a spell."

Instead, he collapsed onto the ground, right in front of the children.

"Is he dead?" the girl asked flatly, and the boy went to poke him. "Don't do that, go get a stick. And my spider."

"And rope?"

"Good thinking. And rope," she nodded, and he ran off in search of all of these things.

"This is… Amazing…! And you grew up here?" Maggie asked in a whisper as they walked along the corridor.

"I suppose that's the right wording," was Botan's answer, and she continued to walk.

"Where are we going, anyway? To find someone who can help us?"

"They're all shadows now, nothing can be done or said to them," Botan replied. "They can't see us, because it's already come to pass."

"Wow… So is that the same for the future?!"

"No. The future can be rewritten, because it's not past. It's nothing a Pekoponian can understand easily," Botan replied, and Maggie sighed.

"I hate to admit it, but I really don't," Maggie said with a chuckle, and jumped out of the way as two aliens, dressed near-identical to how Botan had been dressed, rushed down the hall. Botan turned her head, and her eyes widened a bit.

"Of all the days to come…" she whispered, and took Maggie's hand with one of hers, and used the other to hold up her skirt. "We have to figure a way back to our present time!"

"How do we do that?!" Maggie asked. "And what's with the running!?"

"Because today's the day everything was destroyed!" Botan replied frantically.

"Eh… What the..?" Oliver's vision was blurry at first, and as it focused, he wished he was still knocked out. He was face-to-face with a very large, large spider, and as he tried to run he found himself bound to a wooden chair. The Keronian boy continued poking him with a stick he'd found all through this, "You little brats! Let me go!"

"Dad was right about learning how to tie a good knot," the boy said in awe as he discontinued poking and watched Oliver struggle. His sister still held on to the spider, now closer to her, and Oliver rocked back and forth in the chair a few times, before eventually falling over onto his back.

"Are you going to tell us your name, and why you're here, Mr. Burglar?" asked the girl.

"I'm no bloody burglar!"

"All right then, Mr. Lupin."

"Not that, either! I… I know this sounds weird, but… I'm Oliver!" the girl's plain eyes opened wider for a moment, and the Keronian boy was much more lively in reaction. He jumped back, his eyes wide.

"You think he's telling the truth, Lizzy?" he asked, his voice shaking. The girl knelt down, and studied Oliver for a few moments.

"…No. It doesn't look a thing like him. Maybe we should find something to feed him to."

"Don't!" Oliver yelped. "I can prove it! Honest!"

Lizzy stood up, and took a few steps back, "This should be good."

"Your dad, he's, um… He wears a scarf, right?!"

"Lots of people do," the girl replied. "You have to try better, or you'll be Andromeda Husky food."

"I… I broke a vase of his then hid it under some floorboards beneath the couch so he wouldn't be mad!" Oliver exclaimed, and this drew some interest from the two, who looked at one another, and then began to move the heavy couch. While they were preoccupied by this, Oliver slipped out of the ropes, and slowly crept up on the two.

"There's nothing here!" the little boy muttered, clearly disappointed.

"Ha!" Oliver picked up the Keronian and took the Time Bender by the wrist, and smiled victoriously. "He taught me the importance of learning how to get out of a rope!"

"You have a spider on your head," the girl said casually.

"Like I'm going to fall for tha—" Oliver's eyes went wide as two large legs crawled down from his head, and he let go of the two, and started to scream. Both watched this calmly.

"He does kind of look like Uncle Ollie when he's screaming," said the little boy.

"Mm. It sounds just like his scream, too. I guess it is him, then. My oversight," she walked over to Oliver and took the spider from his back, holding onto it.

"H-How did you convince him to keep that?!" Oliver panted and stood clutching his knees as he attempted to regain his breath.

"We told him it was educational," the boy answered, and held out his hand. "I'm Oriri!"

"Eliza," the girl responded, and Oliver nodded, and stood up.

"It… It's nice to meet you both… I guess…. So… Do either of you have any idea how I get back with that thing?" he pointed to the staff, and the two looked back it, and then back to their uncle.

"No clue," they replied, and Oliver gave a moan of despair.

Botan stopped short in front of the large open stone window, her eyes widening with horror; Maggie looked out, and saw before her a huge fleet of spaceships. She gave a yell and grabbed onto Botan's arm, and began to shake her back and forth, "We need to get out of here before we—"

There was the sound of more feet running, and Botan looked to her left, and Maggie looked over to what had drawn the woman's attention; it was practically a clone of Botan's child form—In fact, Maggie realized after a moment—It was Botan. In front of her was a tall woman, wearing a similar mask and dress to Botan's usual attire, and the woman bent down, and embraced little Botan tightly.

"My mother…" Botan said quietly. "I'd… Forgotten what she looked like."

The two watched as a male Time Bender, dressed in a gold and purple smock and pants, walked up, and took Botan by the hand, quickly spiriting her away from her mother. Her mother stood there a few moments, until being knocked off of her feet by enemy fire.

"We have to try to get back!" Maggie called out, and shook Botan once more. "Come on!"

"It'd be foolish to do so," Botan answered numbly. "We don't know where we'd end up."

"I've had to deal with my brother my entire life. He's foolish! This is saving our skins!" Maggie shouted. The stone structure shook once more, and Maggie grabbed onto Botan to steady her. Botan looked up at her, and Maggie gave a nod. Botan shut her eyes, and moments later they were vanished from the toppling structure.

Maggie fell and rolled when they came to, and Botan's legs collapsed beneath her, exhausted from the move through time.

"Eh? H-Hey! I'm the right age again!" Maggie gasped in relief as she looked down at her hands, then looked over to Botan. "You are, too! We made it!"

"Oliver! Ollie!" Fujuju's yell echoed down the hall, and he rushed in at the sound of voices. He tripped on his own scarf, and did a flip, landing on Botan.

He was confused of his new surroundings at first, then looked up at the stunned and angered face of Botan. He knew exactly where he was, no, much to his horror. He quickly slid off of her stomach, and rewrapped his scarf about his neck, "M-My apologies…"

Maggie gave a chuckle at Fujuju's flustered expression, and stood up, "Where's Ollie at?"

Fujuju looked up at the girl, his expression grave.

"You're sure this is how you work it?" Oliver asked as he stood in the middle of the living room, his staff in hand.

"That's how Mummy always does it," Oriri said as he sat on the couch, Eliza next to him.

"Well, it's worth a shot… What's the worst that could happen?"

"You could end up on a planet without any oxygen," Eliza said flatly.

"…Your big sister's really a handful, isn't she?" Oliver chuckled, and Oriri looked hurt by this statement.

"We're the exact same age!" he shouted, and balled his fists. "I'll get taller! Someday!"

"Wait, so… You two are twins, too?" Oliver's mouth twitched. "You've got to be kidding… M-Maybe we should wait for one of your parents or me to show up, this seems like a…"

"Catch!" Eliza tossed the spider at Oliver, and he gave a yell, falling back and hitting the staff on the floor to keep his balance. With a flash, he was gone.

"Don't worry," Eliza said to her brother, and placed a hand atop his head, "Spiders like that live a long time. We'll meet up with her again."

"Do you think we should have waited for Mum and Dad?"

"And give away that they're having another baby? We can't ruin all of the fun for him."

"I guess so," Oriri looked down at the floor, and then back up at his sister. "Want to try to make an airplane and fly it?!"

"It's like we read one another's minds," Eliza lifted him off of the couch and walked off, her twin brother in her arms.

"Owwww…" Oliver landed on the ground of the lab, his jaw on the floor and his rear in the air, and the staff snapped in half.

"Ollie?!" Maggie rushed over to her brother, as did Fujuju, while Botan took her time walking over toward the boy. "Are you all right?! What happened? What's that-AHHHH!"

"Hehe, looks like a spider, nothing poisonous," Fujuju allowed the creature to crawl onto his hand and smiled at it. "They're quite adorable when you think about it! Let's put her in a jar until we get home."

"Ollie, where did you go?" Oliver sat crossed-legged on the ground, rubbing his chin, and Maggie took a seat beside him.

Oliver paused, glanced to his sister, then over to where Fujuju stood at a lab table, finding a proper jar for the spider.

"Is this one all right?" Botan reached from a tall shelf, and passed him a clear glass jar.

"Yes, thank you," Fujuju nodded, and took it from her.

Oliver started with a chuckle, which he tried his best to stifle, but after a few moments it worked its way into full-blown laughter, and he clutched onto his sides.

"What on earth is so funny?" Maggie wondered aloud, and Oliver leaned over and whispered into her ear. She gasped, went red, and looked over at a puzzled Fujuju and Botan.

"Are you sure?!" she asked, and he nodded. "Wow!"

"From the sound of that laugh, he must have gone back to my childhood days," Fujuju gave a sigh, and tapped at the jar the spider was in. "I think I'll name her Sylvia."

"Hrm?" Botan walked over, and picked up half of her staff. Maggie looked down, and noticed there was a third, small piece beside her. She quickly picked it up and shoved it in her skirt pocket before Botan could notice, and looked away innocently as the Time Bender picked up the other half, only to find it did not quite fit.

"Keronian. You can fix this?" she handed it off to Fujuju, and he looked at the two broken ends and nodded.

"It'll take a few weeks though, I'm afraid. But time's relative to your kind anyhow, correct?" Fujuju answered.

"That shouldn't be a problem, he has an extra room!" Oliver chirped up, and Fujuju nearly dropped the staff, and looked up at Oliver, dumbfounded.

"Well, I…"

"And he cooks really well!" Maggie added.

"And he's great with kids!" Maggie nudged Oliver in the gut for this statement, but both gave the same nervous smile to the two aliens.

"I… I have no idea where any of their excitement is coming from, but if you need somewhere to stay, you're certainly welcome to stay… I hope you don't mind clutter."

"Ah, even if she is she's probably the type to go and fix it," Oliver said with a smirk.

The group walked back upstairs, Fujuju making sure to fix the glass door on their way out.

"Oh, I forgot to give you this back! I'm afraid we didn't get the shopping we wanted to done…" Maggie said regretfully as she handed Fujuju the card.

"No worries, my dear, there's always London," Fujuju replied, taking the card. Maggie noticed the name on the card only now, as she passed it back to him.

"Elijah Grant…?" she muttered below her breath, and stood there, looking at him, and studying him for a moment—The eyes were definitely the same. The human from the picture…

She was broken from her trance by the humming sound of something low-flying overhead. It was the same Viper ship as before—Botan recognized it, as well, from her reaction.

"You two, stay back," Fujuju called out to the twins, and he and Botan took a step closer towards the ship. The exit hatch opened, and Viper stood there, laughing. He fired out a next, but Botan quickly dodged to her left, escaping it.  
"Time Bender!" he called out. "Are we going to keep at this all day?! You're much more valuable alive, but I'm starting to think I'll have to settle!"

"And to think, we could be studying about sea turtles right now," Fujuju said to himself with a twitch of a nervous smile, and dodged as the Viper shot out another net. He took an assessment of the situation, and looked back; the firepit in front of Giroro's tent. He managed to scramble towards it while Botan continued to dodge, and picked up the flint and two sticks.

"Lighter fluid? I couldn't ask for anything more perfect!" he exclaimed, and picked this up as well, then rushed back.

"Hehehe, giving me a show, Keronian?!" the Viper laughed; Botan was becoming warn down from dodging, and each attempt to phase away from the situation was met with failure.

"Just… Working on a problem of mine…" Fujuju replied, and with one swipe of the flint one of the sticks he held was ignited. "I'm seeing how much I've progressed!"

Maggie went to rush toward him, but Oliver held her back, "Stay put, Mags, we'll know when to help him if he needs it."

The first flaming stick was simply thrown at the ship; it landed by Viper's feet, but the alien only laughed and kicked it out, "Is that your best?!"

This distraction had given the time Fujuju had need to take a swig of the lighter fluid and do what he'd originally intended; the large blast of flames knocked Viper right off of his feet, and caught part of the outside of the ship on fire.

Botan held out her hands, and finally, something managed to work. Viper and his ship were frozen in time. She panted heavily, falling on her knees, while Fujuju was bent over, coughing from the fowl taste of the lighter fluid.

"Looks... Like I'm getting a little more control of things..." he coughed out, and wiped his mouth. "...Disgusting... Simply disgusting!"

"Now what do we do with him?" Maggie wondered, and Oliver smiled and chuckled a little to himself.

"I think I've got a good idea," he patted Maggie's back and continued laughing.

"Oh, relax, it was all in good fun!" Oliver exclaimed as he read the concerned look on Fujuju's face. The Keronian looked back at him and sighed.

"I don't feel right about leaving anyone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean," Fujuju admitted.

"…He'll come back," Botan said quietly.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Maggie chirped up. "He doesn't know who our friends are!"

Botan answered with silence, and shook a little bit; the nighttime, in addition to the higher attitude, made for a cooler ride home.

Fujuju pulled the broom he rode with Oliver over a bit, closer to Maggie and Botan, and removed his scarf from his neck, "Perhaps… This will help a little. You get used to this after so many British winters, even if you're a Keronian."

"…Thank you," Botan glanced briefly at the picture pinned to the inside of the scarf, then wrapped it about her neck.

Fujuju caught Maggie and Oliver's looks at this time, and jumped back, "W-what's the problem? It was merely a friendly gesture!"

"Are you sure?" both twins asked slyly in unison.

"Home! Finally!" Maggie sighed as she trudged into Fujuju's home and collapsed on the couch.

"Fran will be more worried if we're walking in at this hour than if weren't still off until sunrise," Oliver yawned and took a seat next to his sister on the couch.

Fujuju accordingly walked to his linen closet, and pulled out a few blankets, "I suppose we'll call it a sleepover, then. The television is yours to watch, children. I'll be in the kitchen… That lighter fluid didn't agree with me, hopefully it's not too late to drink some milk and settle it. Oh, that's right! I still have to show you to your room, Miss—"

"Botan," she replied. Fujuju nodded, and Fujuju led her down the hall, to the guest room; he switched on the light, and gave a weak smile—He'd forgotten about the stacks of books all over the room.

"…I… I'm very sorry, I…"

"Is this one good?" Botan reached up from a random stack and lifted up a leather bound book.

"Kerouac? I suppose so. I'm not sure if you'd care for him, he's a bit of an acquired taste… This looks more to your liking, Frost. You should enjoy this one," Fujuju held it up to her, and she took it, glancing at the cover; both snapped their heads at the sudden flash, and Oliver laughed, pulling out the undeveloped Polaroid and fanning it back and forth.

"Good thing you don't get rid of some dead technologies!" he laughed, and held up the camera again. "Now one more!"

"Come on, you," Maggie again appeared from nowhere and took him by the ear, dragging him away from the two.

"…I promise you they're not always like this," Fujuju reassured her.

"Ollie, what are you doing?" Maggie asked as she watched Oliver pull back the couch and lift up a loose floorboard.

"It'll make sense when we're older. Hey, could you pass me that vase he likes? The blue one?"

Maggie did so cautiously, kneeling down and watching as Oliver smashed the vase, and placed it with the picture, "That'll learn 'um!"

"Did something break?" Fujuju called out from the bedroom.

"No!" the twins answered, and replaced the couch. Maggie took a seat on it first, yawned, and pulled the blanket over herself. Oliver wasn't far behind, sitting straight up while Maggie laid across two of the cushions.

"I'm glad he's going to have someone," Maggie said quietly. "I worry about him so much sometimes, that he'll be alone again. It's good to know he's going to be all right."

"Me, too," Oliver said with a yawn, and he shut his eyes.

The two children didn't hear Fujuju enter back quietly, but he was able to hear them as they continued talking.

"Hey… Don't they kind of remind you of Mum and Dad?"

"A little," Oliver admitted. "Dad was never that good of a cook…"

"And Mum wasn't so tall," Maggie giggled. "G'night, Ollie."

"G'night, Maggie," she yawned, and Fujuju stood there for a few moments, taking this in.

"Do you have any sheets?" Botan walked out, and Fujuju jumped at the sound of her voice, quickly recovering and heading over back to the closet. She took these then walked off, stopping halfway and removing the scarf, and handing it back to him.

"Thank you," he nodded, and looked down at the picture he had pinned in the scarf. "…They aren't the only ones who get reminded on someone." He wrapped the scarf about his neck, and climbed up into the recliner beside the couch. He yawned and stretched, and frowned as he looked out and saw something amiss. "…What happened to that vase, I wonder?"

He could have sworn he heard an interruption in Oliver's snoring, but he left it go, and rolled over; it'd been a long vacation.


	28. Keroro Shotai: Hawaiian Blues! Pt1

J. Lucy-Daisuke Fanfics: Jolili, Danso Maso-free for one year and counting (and probably going to stay that way! ;P). Ah, after a few days off from writing that last chapter quickly, finally back on track to this storyline :D

Boy this makes me want to sit down and watch some Hawaii Five-O O.o Anyway, enjoy! :D

Episode 14:  
Keroro Shotai: Hawaiian Blues!  
Part 1

"ALOHA!" Keroro cried out as he was the first to walk out on the steps, suitcases in hand. He was already dressed for the occasion, with a lei hung about his neck, straw hat, sunglasses, and Hawaiian print shirt. Natsumi was second off of the plane, and wasted no time kicking Keroro down the flight of stairs.

"Mm… It's hot, here, too, but it feels like a better kind of it," she said with a small, serene smile as she stepped over Keroro. The others did so in suite, climbing off of the jet and looking about. Momoka had done her part in helping fund the transport, and she flushed as she stood beside Fuyuki, and inched closer and closer to him.

"What a romantic spot…. Maybe… Maybe we'll split up to look for Kirere-chan's friend, and I'll get put on the same team as Fuyuki," she whispered excited beneath her breath.

Kirere had her bike at her side as she descended the stairs, and Giroro could read her emotions as she looked out at the green around them, "…Don't go anywhere yet. We have some things to sort out. He'll be fine, Kirere."

Kirere answered with something like a small grumble, and took her place with the others on the tarmac.

"Yo!" Mahihi waved out of the side window of his van and laid on the horn as he drove up, and Natsumi gave a sigh.

"He couldn't be inconspicuous if he tried, could he?" Natsumi muttered as Mahihi continued to lay down on the horn. He pulled up to the group, screeching his brakes to a halt, and stepped out, in his human form. Rokiki, having not seen this version of his former friend before, balked at the sight of the Keronian in disguise.

"You… What in the hell are you wearing?!" Rokiki yelped.

"It's the latest fashion here," Mahihi answered, and winked at Rokiki. "You should try it, Roki."

"N-Never!"

"And who're these two?" Mahihi looked over to Mora and Chandi. "A Maronian! You don't see many of those on Pekopon… And you're…"

"She's just annoying," Rokiki answered, folding his arms. Mora meant this with a light smack to Rokiki's shoulder, and a look that could kill.

"So you're looking for that older guy with the funny name, huh? Well, I can give you guys room and board, but that's about it… I'm no good when it comes to thinking."

"How's Daisy?" Giroro asked as they walked back to the car, and Mahihi gave a beaming smile.

"Good, and about ready to have the baby," Mahihi said proudly, and opened the back doors to the van. The group piled in, sitting atop surfboards, and Natsumi had only just shut the door to the passenger seat she sat in when Mahihi sped off, knocking the group to one side of the van.

"Quit driving like an idiot!" Tamama and Momoka shouted; this stunned Mahihi, and he was nervously cautious for the rest of the drive.

"Casa sweet casa!" he slammed the door shut and smiled, stretching after the long car ride. The front wooden porch and yard were filled with toys, patio furniture, and surfboards. The children were playing on the front porch, and rushed the Keronians as they piled out, sore from the car ride.

"W-What!? Stay away!" Rokiki barked in warning to the children; but he was lifted up by the oldest, a girl, in spite of his protests.

"Okay, a little more respect for the grump. C'mon, put him down!" Mahihi sighed, and shoed away the children.

"Could you say not a people person?" Mois chimed in.

"Come on, let's get everyone inside…" Mahihi waved to them, and his middle son, a boy, tugged on his father's arm.

"We wanted to show you the fort we built!"

"You finished it, eh?" Giroro nodded in approval. "I'll take a look at it if you want." He allowed the children to run ahead of him, and he walked toward the side of the house, his arms folded.

Kirere began to lift up the kickstand of her bike, but Kururu placed a hand atop her shoulder.

"Kuku, not so fast," he chuckled. She heaved a sigh and replaced the kickstand.

"It's amazing how he's really gotten into the father role," Keroro sighed.

The others walked into the home, which was just as cluttered as the outside. Daisy could be heard in the kitchen, cooking.

"Ehhh some people will have to sleep in what's going to be the baby's room," he scratched the back of his head and laughed apologetically. "We'll find spaces for everyone, don't worry!"

"My husband will make sure you're all comfortable or else!" Daisy called out.

"Yeah, or else," he nodded.

Tamama had been listening to this, but something on a cluttered shelf caught his attention; a framed photograph. He gave a gasp as he realized who was in the photo, "G-Gunso-san! Lookit!"

"Gero? What is it, Tamama?" Keroro turned his head, and followed the direction of Tamama's pointing. "…It couldn't be!"

"Mahi? Hehe, oh, that!" Mahihi laughed and lifted up the framed photograph. "Yeah, and that was without any drinking involved!" He turned the picture around, and even Kirere, who had been stern-faced, switched for a dumbfounded look.

"Kukuku! Tell me you have copies," Kururu said, tears from restrained laughter in his eyes.

Giroro by now had finished looking over the fort, and was in the middle of giving the children pointers on how to make it better when he suddenly stopped; that photo…

"M-Mahihi! I thought that you—"

"Dude, I told you I was gonna frame this. I love this picture!"

"I didn't think you'd do it!" Giroro yelped.

"My bad, sorry…" Mahihi gave an embarrassed laugh, and Giroro's face flushed bright red as Natsumi took hold of the frame. It was both Mahihi and Giroro, done up in full hula gear and looking as though they were in the middle of their own party.

"At least you two look like you were having a good time," Natsumi muttered, but it was too late—Giroro had gone into his own trauma mode.

The meal Daisy had made was immense, in huge industrial-sized pots. The only thing left in the wake after the huge feast was a large stack of plates. Somehow the Keronians and lone Maronian had ended up on kitchen duty afterward.

"How I ended up on women's work…" Rokiki grumbled. "Mora! Where's your lazy daughter at?!"

"Helping get the blankets and pillows together, Rokiki-kun. Everyone's doing their part, and you're going to, too," Mora floated back and forth putting away the dishes. Everyone was doing their part helping, but one stood out from the rest in terms of speed and workload.

Keroro was breezing through the dishwashing, to the point where Giroro, Dororo, and Tamama were all putting away dishes, cups, and silverware. Kururu would pick up one piece of silverware at a time to be put away, but stopped after three or four trips.

"Ah, finished! Now on to the floors!" Keroro hopped off of the stool and wiped his hands clean. He wore his trademark handkerchief and apron, and stopped as he saw Romama in the midst of collecting the trash. "Ojiisama, remember to break up the boxes before placing them in the bag! You'll get more space in there that way!"

Romama only answered with a grumble as he did this and found Keroro to be right, and continued on his work.

"I'll take it out for you, Romama-dono," Dororo nodded as the teal Keronian tied up the bag and began to lug it to the street.

"Thanks," Romama nodded. He handed the bag off to Dororo, and just as quickly had to rush across the kitchen to break up a fight between Giroro and Rokiki.

"Ah, there is nothing as precious as a peaceful evening!" Dororo became oblivious to the screams from inside as he took out the heavy bag, "If only Koyuki-dono and Lupapa-dono were here to see this as well! Eh? Kirere-chan! What are you doing?"

The sound from her bike drowned out any of Dororo's calling to her, and she broke away from the house at top speed, leaving only a red streak in the night's sky. Dororo gave a sigh and hopped up, making a few quick symbols with his hands, and as he fell back down to earth he instead landed on his own saucer, which he used to follow Kirere quickly. She made a sharp right, and he managed to follow her lead, making an equally sharp turn, and continued to call out to her, eventually zooming up to her side.

"Kirere-chan! You need to go back!" he called out to her. "Your parents will be worried sick! I understand you wanting to find Suzuyama-dono, but we'll do it as a group! This is much too risky!"

"I don't care!" she shouted back. "I've got to find him!"

"Kirere-chan! I… Watch out!" he yelled to her. She looked forward, and gave a yell as she was driving directly into a satellite tower. Dororo, thinking quickly, flew in front of her, jumping off of his saucer and grabbing onto her, but overcorrecting himself and flying off of the bike with her.

Both vehicles hit the tower, gave a loud, screeching metallic noise, and then dual explosions. Dororo managed to secure a safe landing for them by gripping onto the limb of a strong tree, and clutching on for a few moments before jumping down onto the ground.

"Kirere-chan, are you all right?"

"Yeah, but I don't think our vehicles are," Kirere muttered.

"Kirere-chan, that was very wreckless! You could have caused yourself serious harm!" Dororo said, exasperated.

"B-But you would have done it for Koyuki-san, right?!"

"For Koyuki-dono?... In the blink of an eye. But that doesn't make it any more right," Dororo answered. "…We'll just have to find our way back now."

"How do we do that?" she asked, and he seemed cheerful to answer her.

"It's quite simple! The stars will act as our map!" he replied, shooting back up into the trees. His positive attitude quickly vanished, however, as he looked up at the sky; it was a new moon, and a cloudy night. Kirere only heard the squeak of his realization that this form of navigation wouldn't work.

He hopped back down to the ground, and gave a nervous laugh. Kirere knew this wasn't a good sign.

"Hey, doesn't moss grow on the north of trees?!" Kirere asked excitedly, pointing to one of the nearby trees.

"Unfortunately that's merely a myth… Now, the tower is back there, so we'll use that as our marker," he pointed in the direction of the tower, and began walking the opposite direction of it. It didn't take too long, but they ended up on an unmarked road. Both switched on their invisibility, and walked down the side of the dark road.

Kirere heard a howling noise from the dense forest, and gave a jump. Dororo placed a hand on her shoulder for reassurance.

"If I hadn't given up on him so Lupapa-san could date him this would be really nice about now," she said beneath her breath.

"This reminds me of survival training when I was younger!" Dororo said cheerfully. "They would leave us in the middle of a wooded area like this, and it would be our job to get back as soon as possible and alive!"

The girl stiffened at the word "alive". Dororo quickly followed up his statement with, "It was a very rare instance when someone didn't return alive!"

"Yeah, hehe…. And you made it out all right!" Kirere said aloud, for more reassurance to herself than anything else.

"Well, I had practice," Dororo replied, and then stopped his walk. "When we were younger, Giroro-kun and Keroro-kun went camping with me, and Keroro-kun forgot the batteries for the flashlight, then our food rations supplies vanished… And then I was left behind, and had to fend for myself…."

"N-No! Wait! Don't! Not now, not now!" Kirere waved her hands wildly about him, but it was too late—He was in full trauma mode. She heard another howl, and gave a yell, then began to shake. She lifted her head up at a sound that was much more familiar to her; the zooming of tires down an empty road. In the distance she could see a headlight slowly becoming bright and larger as it sped at a breakneck speed down the narrow road. At first, Kirere was glad to have this sign of life; this quickly changed as she watched a poled net come down.

She was too slow to beat it, and Dororo was incapacitated; so both were easily scooped up by the net, and the driver continued the fast speed, only if they were using only one hand to drive with now.

"Ah, finished!" Keroro dabbed his forehead but otherwise looked refreshed. The other aliens were exhausted from the stringent cleaning, and looked it.

"If only he only showed this much focus in the invasion, we could have overrun this planet three times now!" Giroro huffed.

"Keroro-chan will make someone a very nice wife one day," Mora chuckled jokingly, and wiped her forehead.

Mahihi walked into the kitchen, back in his natural Keronian form, and began to choke on the drink he'd been sipping as he laid eyes on the sparkling kitchen, "W-Where'd our kitchen go?!"

"So you could do this all along?" the voice and shadow behind him were familiar, and he spun around, and looked down at his wife.

"W-Well it's different per person, understand!" Mahihi explained in a stutter.

"Ah, work like this really gets the blood going!" Keroro exclaimed.

"He'll pay you if you get the living room cleaned like this," Daisy pointed to Mahihi, who was caught in a rare off-guard moment.

"Pay?" he repeated, and looked over his shoulder to his wife. "Daisy, t-that's just too cruel!"

"He'd love to, but he has other obligations," Giroro had one of his guns pressed up against Keroro's cheek, serving as a subtle reminder to the Sergeant.

"Y-Yes, that's right. Where is Kirere-chan, anyway?"

"Probably taking something apart somewhere," Tamama muttered.

"I have another bag of trash to take out," Romama announced, and walked over to the can. He gave a gasp after her finished tying the bag, and gave a yell, "The blue one! He took out the last trash, about an hour ago!"

"Dororo? Well, get him to do it again then, Ojiisama. You outrank him," Keroro said nonchalantly, and Romama rushed over to his nephew, grabbing Keroro and pulling him closer.

"You don't think it's weird he's missing!?"

"Well, what's the worst that could have happened? He's probably meditating somewhere, knowing Dororo Heicho!"

"She's not picking up her phone," Kururu announced, and this caught Giroro's attention as he saw Kururu on a yellow cell phone.

"When did we decide to get her one of—Wait, she's not? Every girl her age makes sure they always have their phone on!" Giroro exclaimed, and drew curious looks for this statement. "…It's in one of those stupid pop songs she listens to."

"That's a Chu song, right? Keep your phone on ring for me, baby?" Mahihi added, and this drew more curious looks. "My daughter's a fan," he explained.

"Gunso-san! Kiichi's bike is gone!" Tamama had walked out into the backyard, and Giroro was the first to rush out at the sound of this news.

"She wouldn't go without it…"

"She couldn't. Have you seen her run? Kukuku!"

"Where could she have gone? Did Dororo follow her?" Giroro wondered.

"Well, the trash didn't make it to the cans, so it's probably safe to assume he got stopped in the middle of something, kuuuukuku!"

"Where'd they go? You're really asking yourself that?" Rokiki snorted. "It's obvious she went to go see that idiot."

"Eh?" Giroro looked to Rokiki, and Mahihi tilted his head as he was able to get a profile of both men, side by side.

"Hey, Roki…"

"What?" Rokiki asked in a short-tempered sigh.

"Did you and Lupapa… Or maybe some other…. No, never mind," Mahihi shook his head. "It's nothing."

"We'll have to go there then. She's too impulsive sometimes! It's infuriating," Giroro grumbled.

"Eh, Giroro, should you be one talking?" Keroro asked quietly.

"Kuku, do you really think we'd be able to walk right through the front gates undetected, just like that?" Kururu asked skeptically.

"No, we'll use force. For all we know, she fell right into a trap of some kind!" Giroro signaled this by holding up one the heavier guns he owned.

"I'm all for that!" Tamama exclaimed, clenching his fists.

"Won't they see you all, then?" Mora asked gently, and the platoon, who had looked hopeful at the idea of force, now looked crestfallen.

"Just do what you do best and wing it," Romama suggested. "What's the worst that could happen to you that hasn't already?"

"Just wing it?" Keroro repeated, then smiled proudly. "Ojiisama's and I are more alike than even I was aware!"

"I didn't—Ugh, let go of me!" Romama growled as Keroro embraced him.

"We'll have to hurry. Come on!" Giroro had his saucer out and was ready to take flight.

"We'll take my van. As long as no one complains I can get you there faster," Mahihi waved, instructing them to follow him towards it.

"Doing a rescue mission in a family vehicle. Only this group of screw-ups would find that all right," Rokiki grumbled.

"You're both comfy, right?" the maid handed Kirere a large glass of iced tea, and the girl only nodded her head. The same maid set down a tray with another glass in front of Dororo, who sat with his back turned on the luxurious red couch; his aura was still heavy.

"You can watch whatever you want, or we'll bring you both movies if you like!" she stood up and gave a giggle. "What do you think of my Japanese? I've been practicing!"

"Are you going to get police here?" Kirere asked quietly.

The maid only laughed at this, "I think you'll be fine! Now is there anything else you need?"

Kirere shook her head, and the maid exited. Kirere looked over at Dororo; his eyes were less glazed-over now, and it appeared as though he was coming out of his trauma mode.

"Doro? Kirere-chan! Are you all right?!" he gasped as he became aware of the new surroundings. "What happened?!"

"We got kidnapped by rich people," Kirere answered. "There's no way to get out of the windows, I tried."

"We'll have to think of an alternative way, then," Dororo hopped off of the couch, and Kirere set her drink back on the tray and slipped off of the couch. He unsheathed his sword, and looked to his left to the unsure young girl. "I want you to stay close, Kirere-chan."

"Right," she nodded, and he was prepared to rush the door when it opened, and in walked three humans. One man at the head, another man behind him, and beside him a woman.

"Haruki?" Kirere blinked, more stunned than relieved. "And… Another Haruki?"


	29. Keroro Shotai: Hawaiian Blues! Pt2

Keroro Shotai: Hawaiian Blues!  
Part 2

"Hehehe! You hear that, Haru!? She thinks we look alike!" on second glance, she could see the man at the front was older, with gray, shaggy hair, but the same face and body type as Haruki. It was like looking at an age-progressed photo of the mechanic.

He dressed like someone younger than either others his age or Haruki, in a red Hawaiian shirt, sandals, long khaki board shorts, and a denim hat like she'd seen Saburo wear on occasion.

The woman to his left wore a white short-sleeved blouse and long black dress pants, but had her shoulder-length light brown hair tied back with a bright red flower clip.

Haruki was the most shocking to Kirere; he'd cut his hair, and it'd been died black. He was actually wearing a suit, something else she'd never seen from him. And while he laughed Haruki only looked at him coldly.

The old man bent down in front of Kirere and Dororo and gave another laugh, "You two must be those weird lights they saw on the property earlier! I'm glad you're not hurt!"

"Haruki? Haruki?" Kirere totally ignored this old man, and he turned around and watched as she rushed over to her friend and he bent down to be a closer level with her. Kirere hopped up and embraced him around the neck, and totally let go of her emotions from here. Even the even-faced woman's expression broke for a few moments at the sound of the little girl's crying.

"Hey, kiddo… You came all this way to see me?" he asked in a comforting tone. "I didn't think I was that important to anyone."

"You are. And… What'd you do to your hair?" she sniffed and laughed a little.

"He looked like a bum," the woman spoke for the first time, and folded her arms.

"It's pretty common knowledge that that's the role Suzuyama-dono plays," Dororo admitted.

"Ah, so are you this one's father?" the old man asked, pointing to Kirere. Dororo quickly held up his hands and laughed.

"N-No, I don't have any. She's more of a niece," Dororo answered with a nervous chuckle.

"You're coming home," Kirere wiped her eyes and allowed Haruki to hold onto her as he stood back up. "And you're gonna let your hair grown out again."

"Wow, you're finally listening to a girl? You listening to anyone is a change from the Haruki I remember," the woman's cattiness was evident in her statement.

"Who's she?" Kirere wondered, and Haruki sighed.

"Proof that sometimes sweet girls grow up to be evil, evil women," Haruki replied. "Kirere, I—"

"Come on, I'll show you both around the compound!" the man waved them to the front door. "It's probably nothing as impressive as what you're used to, but I'll try."

"Haruo, you don't have time for this…" said the woman, and he sighed.

"Just reschedule whatever you need to, Kyoko. I have faith in you," he winked and then was out, leaving the woman there with her eyes shut tightly, trying to contain the rage that was beginning to boil over in her.

"Haruo?" Kirere repeated.

"Spring man," he nodded. "Haru's mother liked it."

"Wait, so you're…"

"I'm his dad," Haruo nodded. "I suppose that'd make you my granddaughter!"

"You don't have to pay attention to anything he says. I don't," Haruki sighed as they walked down the hall. He stopped in front of a large set of glass French doors, and he opened them, revealing a huge indoor pool; it didn't take long to notice the four blonde American women laid out on the side of the pool.

"You can pick one of them to be your grandma!" Haruo announced with a smile. Haruki lifted up the little girl, and quickly began to spirit her out from the room.

"Was it always like this for Suzuyama-dono?" Dororo wondered aloud. He yelped as one of the women waved at him, and took a step back. "I… I'm sorry…. I have a girlfriend."

"Relax, there isn't a half a brain for the four of them to share," Haruo sighed, and Dororo saw through the polite smile of Haruki's father for a few moments. The look was… Sad. "They just put on a good act. And don't worry, they wouldn't know an alien from a wooden plank."

"Well that's a cause for some relief," Dororo sighed and followed the old man out. "You aren't at all how Suzuyama-dono described you."

"His version's probably the most accurate, unfortunately," Haruo admitted. "So you're Keronians, eh?"

"H-He told you?"

"No, we found your ships, and the purple one had English letters on it," Haruo replied. "Haruki didn't say anything until we were getting ready to send you both to a zoo! I thought you were some kind of lizard…"

"W-We'll we're very happy that it didn't come to that," Dororo replied. "Oh? It looks as though we lost them!"

"They wanted to be lost, I think," Haruo answered. "Come on, I'll keep showing you around!"

"Well, I suppose…."

"It'll be fun!" Haruo replied. "Come on, I'll show you the garage."

"This place is amazing!" Kirere gasped. "It's like Momoka-san's house! Well, maybe this one's a little smaller…"

"My grandma's farm has more memories for me than this place ever did," Haruki opened the back doors, which led out right to the beach. "Good ones, at least."

He removed the tie and jacket and used the jacket as a blanket to lie out on the sand. Kirere laughed as he tossed the tie into the ocean and he took a seat next to her on the beach.

"I wish my room had a view like this!" Kirere said serenely. "Do you see dolphins out here?"

"Sometimes," Haruki answered. "Even sharks."

Kirere's eyes went wide at this, and she looked up at him, "Big ones?"

"Real big ones," he replied. "More whales than anything this time of the year, though."

"Wow, are you going to be okay going back to Japan? I mean, you could get used to this!" Kirere laughed, and Haruki looked at her grimly.

"Kiddo, I… I can't go back," Haruki answered, and Kirere looked as though she'd just been punched in the gut. She immediately began to sputter and wave her hands wildly, barely making full sentences.

"I-If it's the bills, you don't have to pay me for a while, really! I'm sure Rokiki will be all right with that, too! If it's something else, we'll fix it for you! I'm sure someone can! Papa's a genius, he can fix anything! Or… Or if it's someone picking on you, Dad will take care of them!"

"It's nothing like that," Haruki answered, and she grabbed onto one of his shirt sleeves, and spoke quietly.

"Is it something I did then?" she asked in a whisper.

"Eh? No, and I don't want you to think that. Ever," Haruki replied. "It's a family thing, and… It's something only I can take care of."

"But I am your family. We all are!" Kirere answered, and Haruki looked surprised at this statement. "Just tell us what it is, and we'll fix it!"

"You're dying?" Dororo choked out, and Haruo nodded. The Keronian had taken a seat in a study, and was holding onto a much-too-large glass as he sat on the oversized couch.

"I like to think of it as leaving this life and moving on to a next one, if you would. If they operate, I die. If they don't, same result. I've been to doctors all over the world for it," Haruo answered, and sighed. "I finally found another thing my money can't buy, more time."

"Another thing?"

"Mm, the first is Haruki's trust," Haruo sighed, and looked down into his glass. "I know he's just here out of obligation, not love. After I sent him away like I did, without any word or warning, it's no surprise. He acted so much like his mother it was painful to have him anywhere near me. So I packed him off to a country he'd never been to when he was still a baby and let Fuyumi's mother raise him for me. When he got back, he was a man, and…. He wasn't part of my family."

"…Haruo-dono…" Dororo couldn't find any other words, and the old man glanced up at him, a sad smile on his face.

"I just wanted to make sure Haru had the best of everything. I always tried to make up for those missing years… Sent him to the best schools so he wouldn't have to work as hard as I had. Who was I to know that's what he wanted all along? And I was convinced he had no family in Japan, so he'd be better off here. Now I feel like I drug him away from the only friends and family he's ever had. I ruined his life again and again I didn't mean it. And again he hates me for it."

"If Suzuyama-dono really did hate you, Haruo-dono, I don't think he would have come back like he did," Dororo said, and Haruo only gave a small nod.

"We'll see," was Haruo's only quiet answer. When he looked back up at Dororo, he was smiling once more. He set down his glass and stood. "This talk's depressing me too much! What do you say I show you the other garage while they're out there, eh?!"

"Another garage!?"

"That's not fair!" Kirere yelled. "There's nothing they can do?!"

"No," Haruki shook his head. "So… I have to get ready to take over the business, or it gets divided and bought out."

"Can't they put someone else in charge?!"

"I can't think of anyone else my dad would want to. Then again, my dad and I never really knew one another," Haruki replied.

"Haruki!" a voice came from the deck, and both turned around and saw Kyoko standing there, standing straight and looking anything but friendly. "A whole house, and you two are out in the dirt?!"

"It's sand, Kyo-chan! It's a little different!" from her reaction, she wasn't pleased with the "Kyo-chan" comment. He picked up Kirere and his jacket, and shook off his jacket as he walked back up to the deck.

"She's really scary but she doesn't eat children. I don't think," Haruki reassured the young girl. "How's your husband, Kyo-chan?"

She flushed and grit her teeth, "I told you three times already we got a divorce."

"I know. I just like hearing you say it," Haruki said with a smile.

"….I feel like I'm missing something really big here," Kirere muttered.

"And you know, I used to just think that it was coincidence that aliens only seek out yokels and cows. Now I think it's on purpose."

"Yeah, definitely something big," Kirere nodded.

"Hrm?" Kyoko placed a hand on the Bluetooth device in her ear, and stood there for a moment, like she was listening to someone. "I'll be there right away."

"What's going on, Kyo-chan?" Haruki asked as she rushed off.

"We're being invaded," she answered.

"Guys, I think you got me in a lot of trouble with my wife," Mahihi held up his hands along with the rest of the tight circle of the group. Surrounding them in a neat circle were helmeted guards on motorcycles, their large guns aimed at the group.

"S-So it's not a lie, all Americans have guns?" Tamama squeaked.

"W-We were just walking through!" Natsumi called out. The guards were unmoving.

"We're from a call center taking a survey?" Chandi followed up with. Again, no movement.

"Eh? Wait a second…" Rokiki blinked for a few moments, and he dropped his hands. "They can't see us, just the Pekoponians!... Hanging around them is making my own intelligence drop…"

"….Is that so?" Keroro asked after a long pause to mull this over. There was no answer, save for Kururu's laugh.

Keroro tested this by taking a step forward; he just barely missed the gunfire, and fell back into the crowd.

"Then again…" Rokiki sighed.

"This is crap," Giroro snapped. "They have guns, I have bigger ones."

He had just loaded up his weapons, and the guards were aiming to fire, when from one direction came running Haruo and Dororo. From the other came Haruki, Kyoko, and Kirere.

"Wait! Hold on! They're friendly!" Haruo shouted out. The guards looked to one another, and dropped their guns.

"As you were!" Kyoko shouted. Silently they all put away their guns, and backed up on the motorcycles to give themselves room to move out. And then they did, in a straight line, away from the platoon.

"Kirere! Dororo!" Giroro called out.

"We're fine! This is Haruki's dad and friend!" Kirere called waving to her father.

"You're grounded!" Giroro's voice wasn't alone in saying this, however. Kururu had also shouted this out to the girl, something that surprised both Giroro and the girl.

"I just can't win…" she sighed.

"For what it's worth, you all made Kyoko earn her Christmas bonus," Haruo said with a feel-meaning laugh. The group had gathered on the back porch, and one of his maids was handing out drinks to the puzzled group.

"Is she your sister, Suzuyama-san?" Fuyuki asked Haruki, and he choked on the drink he'd been in the process of swallowing. He then started laughing. Hard.

"We were engaged," Kyoko said, her teeth grit together.

"And they would have been so adorable together!" Haruo sighed and shook his head. "Such a shame…"

"Haruki… And Kyonko?" Keroro muttered.

"Kyoko!" she barked at him.

"Could you say a cheap shot at a cheap laugh?" Mois chimed in.

"It's good to see all of Haruki's friends here!" Haruo said happily.

"Are any of you even able to rent a car?" Kyoko asked, and Haruo gave another laugh.

"She's got a sharp tongue, but a good heart," Haruo explained.

"….We'll take your word for it," Tamama muttered as he looked at the dull, constant glare Kyoko wore on her face.

"Mahi?" the dark green Keronian heard a cell phone ringtone that could only be his, and he pulled it out from his shirt pocket. "Daisy? At this hour?" he pressed the button to answer it, and the only sound that came from the phone was a long, loud rant from Daisy that only Mahihi could decipher. "What?! Now? Are you sure? I… Of COURSE I found a doctor to come out! What do you take me for?! N-Now we'll be right there!" he hung up the phone, and had a rare look of panic. "I know this is a weird question, but no one here happens to have a medical degree, do they?"

"He does!" Kirere chirped, pointing Haruki. He was caught off-guard by this, but not as much as Rokiki was.

"What?! You're joking!" Rokiki's jaw dropped, and Natsumi sighed. "You're a doctor?!"

"That's what I said…" Natsumi muttered. "He just needs to turn in a paper or something…"

"Actually I did that… So technically you should be calling me Suzuyama Sensei," Haruki chuckled.

"Never!" Natsumi growled in return.

"The mechanic's a doctor… I need a drink already," Mahihi muttered, placing a hand over his head.

"I'll show you where I hid my emergency ration in your home later," Rokiki said to him. "Suzuyama's a doctor… UGH!"

"You never told me you turned in your desertation," Kirere said as they headed to Mahihi's van.

"Dissertation," Haruki answered. "Eh, with Rokiki helping with the paperwork, it got a little easier to concentrate…"

"What'd you do it on anyway, Suzuyama-san?" Fuyuki asked while they were climbing into the van.  
"It was on smoking, before and after… Well, I used a lot bigger words than that, heh. And I was even able to use myself as a guinea pig," Haruki shrugged this off and took a seat on the floor. "Kinda boring."

"You really are amazing in the worst way," Natsumi muttered. "You coming back better not mean you're going to start bothering Mama again!"

"He's not coming back," Kirere said before Haruki could explain himself. "And… That's okay. He's got his family to take care of."

Natsumi was silent at this; Haruki looked down at the little girl and knew on the inside she was hurting, but smiled a little and placed a hand atop her head.

"All right, we're gonna need some warm towels for this," Haruki hurried up the wooden steps. "Try to get every towel in the house!"

"You got it!" he looked down and saw Keroro returning this order with a salute; he had somehow transformed into a classic white nurses outfit. For some reason, the other Keronians were in the same; Giroro, Rokiki and Romama looked the most horrified at this change.

"Dude, no offense, but I've seen the damage you guys do. You're not getting near my wife," Mahihi answered.

"Um, I'll take some of the girls if they want to help," Haruki scratched his head and sighed. There came a scream from inside, and Haruki and Mahihi bolted into the home. The Pekoponian girls and Mora entered the home, and on their tail was Keroro. Moments later he was punted out of the home.

"Stupid Frog! Stay out there!" Natsumi barked.

Kirere started to walk in, but Kururu placed a hand on her shoulder to hold her back, "I'm the only one who's going to do any life scarring, kukuku!"

"What, they're just taking the baby out of the cryogenic chamber, right?" Kirere asked; there was another yell, and Momoka rushed the three sleepy children to the front yard, a grave look already on her face.

"The what?" Giroro turned his head to her, and she looked at Giroro, puzzled.

"That's how it happens, right?" she asked, straight-faced. A butterfly's wings could be heard flapping to dry off a mile away could be heard with the silence that followed.

"All done," Haruki wiped his forehead and took a seat on the porch, looking exhausted. The girls, too, looked tired, and took seats on the porch.

Mahihi walked out next, a small bundle in his arms. It was just the right size for a Keronian to hold, they noticed immediately.

"You've gotta be quiet, but…" He pulled away the blanket, and all were stunned; it looked just like a newborn Keronian. "…Man, good thing we found the one doctor who wouldn't think this was weird!"

"She's so cute!" Tamama exclaimed.

"Woah, strong genes," Keroro muttered.

"Babies are always cute, then grow up," Rokiki muttered, then gave to a small smile. "Still, this one's in good hands."

"Surprisingly good job, bill-dodger," Natsumi puffed. Haruki stood up and scratched the back of his head.

"Heheh, always good when I can put that degree to use, right?"

"Hey, Aka Baka," Mahihi nodded Giroro over. "You hold him, you're the one in charge if something happens to us."

"Me?" Giroro looked terrified at the thought of taking the baby was terrifying enough, and he was numb as Mahihi placed the little baby in his arms. The baby opened its brown eyes, and started crying.

"Kuuuukukuku! Makes you want another, doesn't it?!" Kururu shouted out over the screams as he covered his headphones with his ears in an attempt to quell the noise.

"Absolutely NOT!" Giroro barked back to Kururu.

"I'm going to work!" Kirere called out, and Natsumi stuck her head out of the bathroom. She had just finished brushing her teeth and was now in the process of tying her hair back into its trademark pigtails.

"Kirere-chan, what're you doing dressed up in Kururu's outfit?" she asked as she noticed the girl wore the Kururuko costume.

"Well, with Haruki not being there, Rokiki and I have to look as human as possible!" Kirere answered. Natsumi caught a glimpse of the girl's expression, and her own softened.

"Are you going to be okay?" Natsumi asked, and Kirere gave a nod.

"Yup! It's what he'd want me to do!" she answered, and waved Natsumi off. "I'll be back tonight!"

"Bye…" there was the sound of the door opening and closing, and then moments later a knock on the door. "…She must've forgotten something again… Kirere-chan, you—"

But there was no one there with Natsumi opened the door, only one finished star-shaped saucer and one finished purple and white motorcycle. Natsumi bent down, recognizing these right away, and smiled.

"…You… You don't need anything, do you?" Rokiki asked as Kirere walked in, and she shook her head and smiled.

"I'll be just fine!" she answered. "As soon as I get to work, I'll forget about everything else, just you watch! Just make sure I don't get too far behind on the bills!"

He nodded, and turned back to his filing. He'd borrowed a grade-F suit to give a more human appearance, although his face, with fangs and tattoos, still looked terrifying.

"Now this goes here… And this…" she said quietly as she bent over the engine. She was at first surprised by the liquid that dropped down onto the engine, followed by another drop; she looked up, but saw there wasn't a single leak in the roof. It was a bright and sunny day. She then felt her eyes, and knew that it wasn't a leak, but crying. She hadn't even realized she'd been doing it. She was so taken aback by this, she didn't hear the bell go off as the glass door to the shop was opened.

Rokiki looked up from his paperwork, and did a double-take, "Can I help you?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I was looking for work. I just moved here from Hawaii," the man answered. "I was thinking there's maybe an opening here?"

"I'm not sure, I'll have to ask my boss," Rokiki answered, and whistled to get Kirere's attention. She shot up so quick she hit her head against the car hood, and rubbed it and gave a groan as she straightened herself up to look toward the front counter; her vision was blurry from the hit, but when it focused she could see exactly who it was.

"Do you think we should hire him?" Rokiki asked. Kirere cleared the desk and lunged, embracing Haruki and knocking him down onto the floor.

"ACK! Kiddo, get off, you're heavier when you're in that suit!" Haruki wheezed, gasping for air. Both sat up, and she hugged him again, tightly. Rokiki saw this and laughed a little, then quietly left the room. "Hey, hey, it's okay, I'm not going to leave again!"

"Promise?!"

"Not until you can run this place on your own. What is this? Have you two been cleaning it?" Haruki laughed. She pressed a swirl-shaped button on the suit, and in moments she was back to her normal Keronian form.

"What are you doing back? Shouldn't you be with your dad?" she asked.

Haruki gave a small smile and sighed, "He told me to leave, if he wanted to visit me again he'd get Kyoko to bring him. He didn't want to take me away from my family a second time. He's going to give Kyoko the business to run when things get too bad. I'm glad; she's always been better at that than me!"

"We're family?"

"You're all weirdos, but I think I fit right in for some reason," Haruki admitted. "Plus who knows who'll grab up Aki-san while I'm in Hawaii? I can't have that!"

"So you're not leaving?"

"Not if I can help it," Haruki answered, and she wiped her eyes again and laughed.

"Good! I won't either, then!" she chuckled. "Come on, let's get back to work!"

"Actually… Let's have the shop close for one more day. We're already behind anyway," he lifted her up. "I was thinking we could go out for a joyride. You'll just have to ride with me today."

"Can I drive?!" she gasped in excitement. Haruki only laughed at this and patted her on the head.

"How about when you're as tall as me? Then you can drive my bike."

"…But that'll never happen!" she said after some thought.

"Ah, now you get it," Haruki laughed. "Come on."


	30. Keroro: It's My Turn to be Angel! Pt1

Episode 15:  
Keroro: It's My Turn to be Angel!  
Part 1

"….I'm not going to say anything," Romama sighed and set down the bags as he stared up at the large tree that seemed to sprout out in the middle of lab. "…It seems so much better to just stay quiet."

"Ojiisama! Do you like it?!" Keroro chirped as he walked out, in a red hapi coat and small sunglasses. He'd switched to a Kansai accent, much to Romama's confusion. Keroro gave a laugh and leaned against the tree, smiling proudly.

"You grew a tree. Congratulations," Romama muttered, looking up at the tall structure. The leaves were strange on the tree, though… They almost looked like they were... Shining.

"Ah, not just any tree, Ojiisama!" Keroro said proudly. "This is a very special tree! A Shining Dream tree!"

"Shining Dream?" Romama repeated as Keroro rubbed a hand over the bark. Romama's nephew chuckled and turned to the Major.

"It only blooms one night every 10,000 Pekoponian years," Keroro placed a hand on the bark and patted the tree proudly. "And this one's set to bloom the same night as Tanabata!"

"Tana… What is that, some appreciation day?" Romama blinked dully, and Keroro's jaw dropped, and he sighed, patting Romama on the shoulder.

"Poor Ojiisama still doesn't know all of the ways of Pekopon…"

"I lived in Russia, how am I supposed to know these things?!"

"Well, our countries are like neighbors, almost!"

"H-Have you seen how big Russia is, idiot?!"

"Well, it's not so big on a map," Keroro answered, and went back to his tree. "Tanabata's also known as the Star Festival to Pekoponians…"  
"Of course you'd like it," Romama muttered flatly. "So what are you wishing for?"

"The invasion, of course," Keroro then hugged the tree and smiled serenely. "Yes, this'll be the answer to all of my long, sleepless nights of worry!"

"That's taking the easy way out," Romama snorted. "How'd someone like you get ahold of something like this, anyway?"

"Kukuku… We think of it as being opportunists," Kururu shuffled out and chuckled. "It was a hard find, and expensive, but we found a sapling on a distant asteroid from the home planet where this tree grew."

Romama looked up at the tree with some disdain, and then caught a glimpse of the time on one of the back computer screens, "Damn it! I'm going to be late! Take this!" he threw one of the full bags at Keroro, and the Keronian fell back onto the ground, having the wind knocked out of him by a full bag of produce.

"Mmmmm….Where'd he even get cherries this good?!" Tamama sighed blissfully as he took another one from his bowl. The one bag had been divided evenly during the meeting, the other bag given t to the Hinata family.

"One thing about Ojiisama, he always seems to look out for all of our health," Keroro said as he took a bite of one of his. "No risk of scurvy on his ship!"

"That or he's trying to convert us to his weird diet, too. Soon we'll be dancing regularly, too," Giroro muttered, although he, too had taken some of the cherries. "So when does this tree blossom?"

"Tomorrow night," Keroro answered, and Giroro choked in response, drawing looks from around the table. "Um, Giroro Goucho…"

"URK! Thank you…" Giroro croaked after Kururu delivered a hard hit to the Corporal's back.

"Kukuku, anytime," Kururu chuckled.

"Did you have plans already?" Keroro asked.

"Well, I…. No. I didn't," he muttered and looked down at the table; he in face did, he thought as his face reddened. Natsumi had mentioned going to hang her wish on a tree and going to the small festival that was being held—His mind flashed through the good times they were to have, but this was quickly dashed by the reality of his work.

"If I could have a wish come true, I'd wish for all of the candy I could ever eat!" Tamama said with a smile to Kirere quietly, although there was a glint in his eye as he looked up at Keroro. The Sergeant missed this, but felt a chill go through him. "How about you, Kii-chi? What would you wish for?"

"Me?" Kirere blinked and looked up from her drawing. "Well… Maybe for an Autobahn in Japan."

"An Autobahn?!" Giroro choked.

"Mm," Kirere nodded. "A street where you didn't have any rules, and that you could drive fancy Pekoponian cars down? But I'd need a fancy car…. Maybe a fancy car, then!"

"You really are a dim bulb," Tamama muttered.

"Papa, what would you wish for?" Kirere asked, and Kururu chuckled.

"World peace," Kururu answered, and this turned everyone's heads.

"K-Kururu-dono, that one was mine," Dororo said weakly.

"Why would you out of anyone want world peace?" Giroro asked.

"Kuku! Get 'um while they suspect nothing," Kururu chuckled, and Giroro's expression was one of horror.

"I think we can all safely say what Giroro Goucho's wish would be," Keroro said sagely.

"W-Wh… The invasion, of course! My wish is to complete the invasion," Giroro folded his arms and tried to look as collected as possible.

"Are you sure?" a few voices asked, and leaned in toward him. Giroro gave a yelp, and turned his chair away from them.

"O-Of course!" Giroro answered, although his voice had flushed deep red by now.

"Gunso-san! What would you wish for?" asked Tamama.

"Why, the well-being of everyone present and their friends and families, of course," Keroro answered. This was a surprising answer from Keroro, and the platoon was stunned into silence by it. "Or maybe a larger budget to buy Gunpla!"

This resulted in a groan from the group.

"Aya-chan's not in today?" Romama heard as he walked quietly on the floor of his home, and he carefully moved away the board, peering down into the ballet studio.

"I know! She's never missed a day!" another one of the girls said, a bit of worry in her voice. "You don't think it's one of her parents, do you?"

"I don't know… I don't know that much about her, honestly," answered the other girl.

"She never mentioned anything about her parents," Romama said to himself quietly as he watched this unfold down below. The teacher, all too familiar to Romama, walked in between the two girls.

"I'm going to visit Aya's home today after class, while the cleaners are here getting out the garbage. Hopefully that'll take care of all of the noises stray cats and who knows what else have been making. For now, girls, less chatting, more dancing," the teacher clapped her hands together, and the two girls nodded and took off from their corner.

Romama could hear the music start up, but from his place couldn't see any of the girls dancing. He turned on his cloaking device, and made the perilous trip downstairs. He had to dodge dancers all along the way, getting tripped up by the sudden movements, until he finally reach the other side of the battlefield, the student roster.

He quietly tore off the page with Aya's information, and took it for himself.  
The walk was a surprisingly short one, about a mile from the dance studio. But the neighborhood had changed drastically from the area with the studio. It was much worse, even he felt ill-at-ease in it. He jumped as a dog appeared in front of one of the gated homes, and began to bark loudly at him. He hurried his step until he came to the apartments.

"Second floor," he muttered to himself, and looked up at them. The walk up the cement and iron steps wasn't too bad, then he came upon a new, more challenging task. How to get inside.

He had just finished examining all possible entrances of the corner unit when he heard the rush of feet up the same steps.

He didn't recognize her at first; her hair was down, showing that it went flat and to her shoulders, and she wore black shoes with small heels, black knee socks, a red skirt, and a long-sleeved light yellow blouse.

She rushed to the door, pulling out a keychain and wasting no time to unlock the door. Romama wasted no time sneaking in behind her. Aya immediately shut the door and looked around, having the distinct feeling of being watched.

"Hello?" she called out. No one was in the tiny living room… Romama did hear noises coming from the kitchen, though. And delicious smells, as he ventured closer. Whatever the smell was, it was fantastic.

"Aya?" an older woman walked out, just as frail looking as Aya, in a long white dress and a light pink sweater over it. Her hair was a bit more faded than Aya's, and she didn't wear a wedding band, Romama noted.

"I got what you needed!" Aya smiled and held up the bag. "I hope I remembered everything!"

"This looks like it," her mother nodded in approval as she took one of the bags and hobbled into the kitchen. Romama could see flashes of what looked like a leg brace from beneath the white skirt.

Romama was going to follow into the kitchen, but was distracted by something, a bedroom door with tell-tale posters on its door of a graceful ballet dancer. His urge to investigate the room superseded that to follow Aya into the kitchen.

"This is too much… So this is where she lives?" he whispered as he looked about, walking down the hall until her reached the door. It was already cracked open, and he slid in, and looked about her room. It was much neater than his own place, with more posters of dancers up on the walls, some basic white furniture, and an unmade bed.

He hopped up on the dresser and walked along it, taking a seat on the edge of it and lifting up a small wooden box, "I hope I'm not being creepy, doing a thing like this," he thought after a moment of meditation. "…I'm being very creepy."

He sighed, then slowly opened the box. He quickly shut it once more as the first few notes sounded from it. He heard footsteps hurrying down the hall, but by the time Aya looked into her room, there was nothing there, and not a thing moved from it.

"Aya? Is everything all right?" her mother asked, having gotten up to follow her daughter.

"Mm… I just thought I heard something," she nodded. "I could need to change batteries."

"Why don't you do that while I fix dinner, eh?"

"Are you sure? You were so sick before, you—"

"I'll be fine," her mother smiled. "You go on, all right?"

Aya nodded, and walked back into her room, closing the door. Romama laid under the bed, and watched her from beneath the heavy comforter that slung over its side.

He couldn't see what she was doing at the dresser at first, but he furrowed his brow as he saw her pull a small device from her ear. He'd seen these before, people on some TV shows had been wearing them… But where?

He watched as she tuned the small device, holding onto his own ears as it gave a high-pitched buzz, then continued to look up at her as she placed it back in her ear after changing the small battery. She brushed back some of her hair to hide it, and then was out of the bedroom. Romama scrambled to climb back onto the dresser after she had left, and looked down at the small batteries and unfolded paper instructions.

He couldn't make out all of the characters, but understood the diagrams well enough to realize what it was, "…She's Deaf?" he mumbled numbly.

"So are you making a wish?" her mother asked from the dining room table; neither seemed to notice Romama shuffling out of Aya's bedroom silently, or when he stopped to watch them.

"I already made one," Aya answered, and her mother smiled, and after taking another bite of her food, asked what the wish had been for. "That… That you would get better. That we both would."

"Aya," her mother sighed. "We're perfectly fine, the both of us! We just have to do things a little bit differently! If you're going to wish for something, you should spend it on something else you want! Maybe a boyfriend, or a bike. Those are things I wished for when I was your age!"

"Well, maybe I'll be able to make another one…." she said quietly, looking down at her plate. Her mother grinned, and Aya looked up at her mother's expression, curious.

"What's his name?"

"What? Oh! He doesn't… I mean that… We've only met once, but we talk a lot! We're not like that, he's just a good friend of mine."

"Really? Aya, how come you never mentioned him to me?"

"I… I was thinking you'd think it was something that it wasn't… He was that one who danced with me, at the Christmas Pageant. I've been hoping I'd meet him again, but… It's like he's vanished!" Aya answered, and Romama slowly felt his face go red as he realized he'd become the subject of their talk.

"That boy? I remember him! He wasn't a bad dancer at all! Maybe he was a foreigner, he didn't look Japanese," her mother concluded, and looked up as there was a knock on the door. "That must be the package your father sent you. Let me—"

"I've got it!" Aya stood up, and Romama followed her; this could be his one chance of getting out of the apartment for the day. He slipped past Aya's legs, and then out the door, it closing soon afterward—He hadn't realized how soon until he attempted to take another step, and saw he could go no further.

"You… You're kidding," he mumbled with wide-eyed horror as he saw the end of his tail had become caught in the door. It was only then he began to feel the delayed pain shoot through his body.

He hobbled the rest of the walk home, his tail still sporting a bright red mark on its tip. He sniffed a little bit, but didn't cry, "…That idiot… He wouldn't…. No, but… Maybe if he met them… It's not like he'd know what to do once he invaded, anyway…" Romama muttered, thinking back to the tree he'd seen earlier in the day, then to Aya's wish. "I shouldn't even bother, there's no way he'd go for it."

He walked up to the building just as the moving truck left; he thought it a bit curious that one would be passing by at this time of the night, but shrugged it off.

He hopped up onto a dumpster on the side of the building, and from there climbed up to the small window he used to get into his home. He went to switch on his light, but found it wasn't there. He felt a few more times for the lamp pullstring, but found it wasn't there—He walked over to the light switch that turned on the top light, and managed to his this after a few attempts to jump up to hit it.

His lamp wasn't the only thing missing—The attic was completely empty. Romama said nothing, but his jaw hung completely open.

"Eh? I'm coming, I'm coming…." Keroro yawned and stood up, and hobbled to his bedroom door, which was being pounded on rapidly and roughly. "Natsumi-dono must've found out that I accidently placed a red sock in with the whites… I'm coming—Eh? Ojiisama?"

Romama was shaking as he stood in front of Keroro, behind him a tired Natsumi and Fuyuki. Keroro watched cautiously, thinking at first it was extreme anger Romama was shaking with—He was preparing for Romama to grip him about the neck in a strangle, but much to his shock, the young boy broke into tears and sobs.

"Gero? ….Come inside, Ojiisama," Keroro blinked a few times, and stepped out of the way for Romama to enter.

"GWA! Help! Help!" Kirere went running, seagulls close behind her, and Giroro grumbled, and shoed away the pack of birds with a stick he'd been using to sort through the rubble.

"It's a shame how much is simply tossed away by Pekoponians," Dororo said with a sigh as he, too, sorted through the trash. "So many otherwise perfectly good items, too!"

"Why aren't Natchii and Fuuki helping look for Gunso-san's Ojiisama's stuff, too?" asked Tamama as he dug around the rubble—He sighed wearily as Kirere was running again, being chased by a different flock of gulls, now. Giroro wasn't far behind, chasing down the birds with the same stick.

"The Hinatas are helping out by looking to see where the truck went, while Teicho-dono and Romama-dono are looking around local shops, to see if the contents were taken to a thrift store," answered Dororo.

"GWAAA! Now it's rats!" Giroro yelped as he was now running, Kirere clinging onto him as a group of rats scuttled after them.

"Heh, so this is what a team of advanced warriors does, look through garbage. Pathetic," Dororo and Tamama looked up at the top of a junk heap, seeing Rokiki look back down at them, a bag slung over his shoulder and a pointed stick over one of his shoulders.

"Rokiki-dono! You're joining us as well!? But why?" asked Dororo as Rokiki slid down to join them.

"Obligation," Rokiki answered bluntly. "Chandi told me all of that brat's things had been thrown away while he was out. Now what are we looking for?"

"There's a small list, but Romama-dono specifically stressed a locked wooden box with photographs and an old mandolin," Dororo answered, showing Rokiki a handwritten list. Rokiki took it and glanced it over, and nodded.

"Very well. You know, in my day, soldiers were expected to have fine penmanship... My how things have changed," Rokiki said as he began to search the large pile in front of them. Giroro and Kirere went running towards them, and it was too late for Rokiki to react as they barreled into him, Kirere landing atop Rokiki and Giroro on top of her.

"Shoo, shoo little vermin friends! Off to your families!" Dororo waved off the rats, who stopped, and after a moment did just this, venturing back into their burrows. One stayed, crawling up on his shoulder and nuzzling him. He returned by scratching it atop its head.

"And she left me for that…" Rokiki grumbled as he looked up at the sky, the other red Keronian and the pink one still atop him. "Move it, both of you! You're heavy!"

While this continued on, in another part of town Keroro and Romama walked along the city street, Keroro in his Grade-F suit while Romama remained invisible, perched on Keroro's shoulder and looking into each junk shop eagerly, for any sign of anything that had belonged to him.  
"Do you see anything, Ojiisama?"

"Don't you think I'd be in a better mood if I had?"

"Well, if we're being honest…"

"Ojiisamaaaa!" Keroro and Romama turned around as they heard footsteps running toward them, and Mois hurried over to them in a run, stopping in front of her uncle and uncle's uncle.

"Mois-dono! Did you manage to find anything?"

"No, not yet! But I'm still hopeful! Could you say, keeping the dream alive?" she answered brightly.

"We'll find it yet, right, Ojiisama?!" Keroro asked with a grin equal to Mois's, but Romama only looked down at the ground, grim.

"I'll keep asking around!" Mois said, and Keroro nodded; the girl took off running again, and Romama was silent as he and Keroro continued to look in every window they passed by.

"Don't worry, Ojiisama! Luck is on our side!" Keroro chirped cheerfully.  
"At least those pictures are locked away…" Romama sighed. "If those got out…"

"Gero," Keroro gulped, a bit nervous at this prospect, as well.

"I'm an idiot," Romama grumbled. "If only I hadn't gone to her home…"

"What's that, Ojiisama?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"Well, if Ojiisama needs a place to stay, I'm sure Fuyuki-dono and Natsumi-dono wouldn't see any harm in one more alien living with them!" Keroro reassured his uncle, and Romama was stunned by this.

"You… You mean you'd…"

"Of course! I've said it before that Ojiisama's family!" Keroro answered. "Plus, if we had someone with your military expertise on board…"

"I'm not helping you with any invasion, you won't learn anything that way."

"Gero…"

"But… Maybe I could tell you what you're doing wrong every now and again," Romama sighed with defeat, and Keroro brightened up at this.

"Teicho," Kururu spoke into Keroro's earphone, breaking the happy bonding moment between him and his uncle. "Kuku, I hate to get in the way of all of this, but the tree only has a few more hours of life left in it…"

"Right, I nearly forgot. Thank you, Kururu Soucho."

"What did he want?" Romama wondered aloud, and Keroro faltered for a moment, then scratched the back of his head.

"It's nothing, Ojiisama. Now let's get back to looking for your things!" Keroro said cheerfully.


	31. Keroro: It's My Turn to be Angel! Pt2

Episode 15:  
Keroro: It's My Turn to be Angel!  
Part 2

The sun was setting. Keroro was becoming more anxiously, checking his watch more and more often. Romama was becoming more anxious, but for different reasons; they still hadn't found anything that looked remotely like something that had been in the attic of the dance studio.

"Ojiisama, I… Maybe we could keep looking tomorrow," Keroro said as he glanced down at his watch; he had only an hour left, then the tree would be useless to them. "Time's of the essence…"

"It could be even further away then!" Romama answered, hopping off of Keroro's shoulder and looking up at him. "I… We don't have time to waste!"

"I understand, Ojiisama, but—"

"I… Wait, this is about your stupid tree, isn't it?"

"Ojiisama…"

"Just go!" Romama snapped, his hold on his temper quickly fading. "I'll finish this myself. If you want something done right, you do it yourself, anyway. You're probably just going to wish for something childish, anyway! When will you grow up!?"

"I, I'll be back to help you right after…" Keroro backed away from Romama, and Romama looked over to him coldly. Keroro was caught off guard by this, and remained standing there, still, as Romama rushed away from him, disappearing in the growing festival crowds. "…Ojiisama…"

"He's a teenager, it's more unusual when they aren't being moody," Giroro muttered, his arms folded as he stood at the base of the tree with the rest of the platoon. It had been moved to the back yard, and had only gotten taller, and more gorgeous, now in full bloom with bright pink shining flowers.

Mois looked up at the tree, gasping as a flower fell off gracefully, and cupped her hands, catching the delicate thing and studying it in awe.

"He'll be back," Giroro reassured Keroro. From the expression on Keroro's face, it was clear he wasn't fully convinced, but he still looked up at the tree, and gave a sigh, Romama's biting and sudden words clear in his mind.  
"I… I suppose you're right, Giroro Goucho," Keroro nodded numbly, and removed a sheet of paper and an old-fashioned inkwell and brush pen. "Now, time for our wish, gentlemen and ladies. This is our greatest wish come true."

Romama growled in frustration as he saw another closed shop, and decided to take out his anger on an unsuspecting brick structure. His fist left a good-sized hole in the wall, and he continued on down the street, bumping into families, couples, and hopeful singles, many gathered around trees, tying pieces of paper to the branches. He stopped and looked up at one of these trees, looking over all of the papers floating in the breeze.

"I wonder what they all wished for…" he muttered to himself. "Eh? It… It's her!" he exclaimed as he saw she was a little further down, tying her own wish to a low-hanging branch. It was at this point he looked at his reflection in the glass of a storefront, and back at her. After a few moments of thinking, he ducked into the alleyway, emerging out as the blue-haired human form he could transform into.

"At least she'll get her wish," he said to himself as he stopped behind her a few feet, and watched her finish tying on the slip of paper.

He was just about to reach out and place a hand on her shoulder when he heard something—Someone was calling her name. Both he and Aya turned their heads at the same time, and Romama watched as she waved to young boy about her age, her face bright and happy to see him.

"Kazuo-san!" she exclaimed as she rushed over to him. "I… I don't believe it! What're you doing here?!"

"I just moved! Aya-chan, I'm surprised you recognize me still, it's been so long!" he chuckled. "How are you? How's your mother?"

"She… She's still getting along," Aya nodded. "It's been a while since the accident, but she's doing much better now! And so am I!"

He had never seen her light up like this, not even when she talked to him while he remained in the shadows and listened to her go on.

"Are you off to anywhere now?" asked the dark-haired boy, and she shook her head. "Come on, then! My cousin's showing me around town, it might be even better to have someone else who just moved here show me around, too! Eh? Aya-chan, what's wrong?"

"Hrm? Oh, it's nothing. I just... Thought I heard someone call my name," she shook her head as she looked over her shoulder—She could have sworn she'd felt a set of eyes upon her. But there was no one there.

It was only when they were a safe distance away that Romama stepped out of the shadows and watched them. He then looked up to the tree, and saw her hand-written note attached to it—it was very loosely tied on the tree.

Romama looked to his left, then right, then pulled it off. He had to see what she'd wished for, he couldn't resist.

"For my family and the Little Angel and his family to have a good year…" he read aloud quietly. He then folded it again and tied it back onto the tree, tighter this time.

"Thanks again for letting me borrow a kimono and helping me get it on!" Chandi said to Momoka as she tugged on the obi. "These things are so tight, though! Hehe, I feel a little bit like a sausage in it! So when's everyone else meeting us?"

"Azuyama-san usually pops up when you least expect her, and Nishizawa-san is on her way now," Fuyuki answered.

"N-Natsumi!" Giroro's face went bright red as Natsumi walked out with the Indian girl and Fuyuki. She had also dressed in a summer kimono for the event, and looked up at the tree, mesmerized as she laid eyes on the tall plant.

"Stupid Frog, what is this, anyway?!" she asked as she looked upward at it.  
"It's a Shining Dream tree! You!—" Kirere was stopped short as Tamama placed both of his hands on her mouth to muffle her voice.

"Oh, it's just a tree for the holiday. Nothing special, Natsumi-dono," Keroro muttered; Natsumi could tell from his voice that it wasn't the same spirited Keroro as usual… There was something off about the green frog.

"Stupid Frog, are you—"

"Ojiisama!" Keroro immediately lit up as Romama shuffled into the backyard, looking down at the ground as he walked.

"I'm sorry about how I treated you earlier," Romama muttered, not looking up at Keroro as he spoke. "That's…. Not the right way to treat family."

"Eh? It's all right, Ojiisama," Keroro answered, and then laughed. "It's better than the verbal and mental duress Natsumi-dono exposes me to on a daily basis!"

"What's that?!" Natsumi barked.

"N-Nothing, Natsumi-dono!" Keroro yelped, then turned back to Romama. "We… We'll help you out again tomorrow, Ojiisama! If things go well enough, we'll have a whole team looking for you!"

"It… It's okay," Romama said quietly. "They were just things. I… I still have my memories."

But the boy was upset, and Keroro could see this as Romama walked past him and looked up at the tree.

"O-Ojiisama…." Keroro walked up to Romama, and spoke to him quietly. "If you want… Gero… What I mean is, if, while nobody's looking… You might be able to… Well…"

Keroro tapped the bark of the tree, for Romama to get his meaning, and the Major's eyes went wide.

"What about your mission?"

"I should work for it. It's not good for things to be this easy, I'd hate to go down in the history books as someone who took the easy way out."

"…They'll all be really mad at you…."

"That's nothing new."

"…All right," Romama nodded, and smiled. "I wish, that… Aya-san and—"

"It's nice seeing them get along, huh, Nee-chan?" Fuyuki said cheerfully to his sister.

"Mm, I wish they could be like that a little more often. It probably would mean less destruction around here," all went pale as Natsumi spoke, and the tree's glow became even more intense, until it was a shining white light—The flowers flew up from it, rising into the air, then exploded into small bursts, coming down as a shower of small glittering sparks. When the tree stopped glowing, it was but a seed on the ground.

"Natsumi…" Giroro wept. "Natsumi, you didn't! Tell me you didn't!"

"W-What did I do?!" Natsumi asked as she looked at the sea of depression in front of her.

"I'm sorry you didn't get your wish, Ojiisama," Keroro said as he set up the air mattress for Romama. The Major was looking up at the rows of Gunpla as Keroro did this, lost in his thoughts. "Say, Ojiisama… What was your wish going to be, anyway?"

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing… It doesn't matter now anyway, right?" Romama muttered, looking up at the rows and then finally turning away, back to Keroro. "Do you need a hand with that?"

"Maybe a little," Keroro admitted as he looked down at the pieces of the air pump, all spread out on the ground. Romama sighed and went to trying to piece the pump together, but gave up after a few moments.

"Can't you get your mechanic up here to fix this?"

"Unfortunately no. I did that once when my TV went out, Giroro Goucho threatened me within an inch of my life. He's a strict parent when it comes to bedtime," answered Keroro.

"I'll make a pallet on the floor. No different from when I was little," Romama said, walking over to the bundle of folded blankets for his bed.

"Ojiisama, you're still little. Well, sort of," Keroro answered. "What I mean is…"

"Nee-chan and I used to do this when I was really little," Romama explained. "We'd pretend we were camping on some far-off planet, and we'd look up at the sky and figure out what planets we'd conquer first."

"She really cared about Ojiisama, huh?"

"She was a different generation, but she humored me," Romama answered, and looked up at Keroro. "Sort of like how I humor you now. In fact it's almost just like that."

"Gero?! Ojiisama, that's harsh!" Keroro frowned, and Romama laughed a little bit, and laid down on the pallet he'd set up beside Keroro's bed.  
Keroro, too, laid down after a moment, and both looked up at the blank ceiling in front of them.

"…I think after Pekopon, we're going to invade that planet, next," Keroro pointed up at the blank nothingness, and Romama looked over to him, confused for a moment, then he looked up at the same nothingness, and pointed to another imaginary planet.

"That one's more logical, more of your resources are over there," Romama explained. "You could use those to take over all of the surrounding planets."

"Good thinking, Ojiisama!" Keroro chirped. "Then that one!"

"Why that one? It's mostly water, hardly any land."

"For Kero Kero Water Park!" replied Keroro. "And that one to the left will be planet Bandai, a whole factory dedicated to Gunpla factories."

"That planet's all snow, it'll need a Russian name," Romama pointed.

"Gero, no… That'll be Planet Winter, for Fuyuki-dono! And that one, that's molten and boiling? That'll be Planet Demon Summer, because it reminds me of Natsumi-dono's constant rage."

Both continued this well into the night. In the morning, the Hinata household was back to bustling with activity. Natsumi and Fuyuki were getting ready for school, and Keroro had been set to cook breakfast.  
Romama was down in Keroro's room, looking through webpages on his nephew's computer. He gave a small smile as he saw exactly what he was looking for.

"Ah, Ojiisama's sure to like this!" Keroro said happily as he flipped the omelet off of the pan and onto the plate. "Vegetarian omelet! Oh, Ojiisama, I—Ojiisama?"

Romama was through the kitchen and out like a flash from the household, a sheet of paper in his hand.

"That was odd, Nee-chan. Even for Shosa," Fuyuki commented.  
"Nothing's weird for those stupid frogs," Natsumi sighed, and picked up her bag. "We're going to be late, Fuyuki, come on."

"Right," Fuyuki nodded, and stood up. "Gunso, stay out of trouble, all right?"

"But of course, Fuyuki-dono!" Keroro answered with a cheerful nod.  
As they walked down the street for school, it was only Fuyuki who saw the flash from the corner of his eye; it was too large to be Kirere's bike, and Kururu's was being repaired on, leaving it to be only one other Keronian. Fuyuki smiled a bit, and continued on his way to school.

"This is it," the landlady said as she walked Romama up to the third floor of the apartment complex and handed him the key. "You're pretty young… What did you say it was you did again?"

"I'm a dance instructor," the blue-haired boy answered, taking the key and looking up at the red door. The landlady only nodded and left him, and Romama walked into the empty apartment, looking about at the tiny thing, inspecting every room.

"So this is Ojiisama's new home!? It's so spacious!" Romama jumped as he heard a familiar scratchy voice behind him, and he spun around; there was Keroro, with his bike set at his side. "And Ojiisama's a handsome Pekoponian! I wonder if they'd even hold a candle to the good looks I'd probably have as one!"

"W…What are you doing here?!" Romama yelped.

"I followed you, Ojiisama!"

"I know that! But why?!" Romama snapped.

"Well, you were out in such a rush, I figured you must have found your missing things!" Keroro answered. "Why are you living here, anyhow? You could stay with me!"

"If I had to deal with you every day I'd kill you—This is to save you," Romama answered plainly.

"So… It's because Ojiisama cares?" Keroro's eyes were teary with happiness, and Romama back away from his nephew as quickly as he could.

"D-Don't you hug me!" Romama snapped.

"Eh?" Keroro heard a familiar ringtone, and looked down at his buzzing cell phone. "Kirere-chan? This early?" he muttered and picked up his phone, looking at the familiar number and yin-yang symbol in place of a picture. "Hello, Kirere-chan? You… You what? You… That's great! Ojiisama, change back!"

"What?" Romama blinked.

"Change back, quickly, we have to go!" Keroro exclaimed, and no sooner had the boy done this that Keroro grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out of the apartment, the bike at his side.

He started it up and zoomed down the stairs, allowing Romama hardly any time to mount it. As they flew down to the second story, another neighbor nearly lost her balance as she walked upstairs with groceries in hand.  
"So that's why Ojiisama picked this place!" Keroro said as he recognized this girl as Aya. "She must be very special to Ojiisama!"

"Stay out of it," Romama grumbled, his face flushing a little. "And slow down, you're driving too fast!" he snapped as Keroro made it out of the apartment complex.

They were soon at Haruki's garage, the mechanic and his smaller co-mechanic standing to the side of a large mound of boxes and equipment.

"They think junkyard means junk," Haruki grumbled. "I was going to call the dump, but Kirere said to hold onto this for you…"

Romama's eyes widened as he saw the mandolin, laying right on top; he rushed off of the bike and ran to it, picking it up and studying it. Rokiki watched this from the porch of the repair building, in the shadows.

Romama quickly began to look through the boxes, falling in a particularly deep one, and emerging again with an old box, which when opened was full of photographs. Rokiki lifted his head a bit in interest to this, and walked over.

"Wooowwww so this is what everyone dressed like back then?!" Kirere asked in awe as she looked at the old group photo. "I just thought Rokiki-san really liked skirts!"

"It was the fashion!" Rokiki barked, and looked over the photographs. "...The old days… When I was at least respected and had a promising career. I think I'm getting a little depressed just looking at these!"

"Well, there's an old delivery truck we can load up," Haruki pointed over his shoulder to the worn out old white truck. "It's sort of a slow work day, anyway…"

"We're on it! Right, Kirere-chan?!" Keroro said cheerfully as he lifted up a rolled up rug with the little girl's help.

"Right!" she turned to face him, and as she did this, the rug hit him roughly against the head, sending him flying.

"Ugh, I think we'll need help for this," Rokiki muttered.

"That's the last of it," Giroro patted the last box as he set it in, then hopped out of the now-full truck.

"Now Suzuyama-dono can drive it to Ojiisama's, and we can unload it there!" Keroro said happily, and the weary platoon, Haruki, and Mois gave a groan of response.

"Gunso-san can be a real slave-driver when he puts his mind to it," Tamama sighed as he climbed into the truck compartment.

"Suzuyama! I need you to give me a lift home, too," Rokiki said as Haruki climbed into the driver's seat. "Mora's working late… Or going on a date. Either way she and her child won't be here to get me."

"I'll take care of it!" Kirere said cheerfully. "Just hold on tight!"

"Driven by a preteen…The humiliation never ends," Rokiki grumbled darkly.

Keroro and Romama took off on Keroro's motorcycle, Keroro following the truck close the whole ride home—Kirere and Rokiki weren't far off.

When they finally stopped, it was on one side of the street—Everyone, including Rokiki, was stunned as he and Kirere stopped on the opposite side of the street, at a long row of houses.

"Wait, so…" Rokiki slowly pointed up at the apartments. "Y-You live here?"

"Could you say, enemies as close as enemies?" Mois chimed in.

"I… I feel sick…" Rokiki muttered, leaning against the wall outside of his home.

"There, there," Kirere patted him on the back sympathetically.

"Gero, this is wonderful! After I finish visiting Ojiisama, I can visit Mora-chan and Rokiki-dono!" Keroro said cheerily.

"No way!" Romama and Rokiki said in unison, in such a tone that Keroro jumped with surprise.

"S-So cold…" Keroro said in a quiet tone.

Everything was put in its place, the last being a framed photo of Romama's sister, which sat on the wall. Then the young Major took a few steps back and examined the home; it was just to his liking. And as he turned around and walked out into the living room, he saw that it was still being tweaked by the residential clean freak of the bunch.

"Lower… Lower… Ah, perfect, Dororo!" Keroro said as the ninja worked to place a framed picture just right, standing on his tip-toes on the stool to do so. "…No, on second thought, maybe a little higher…"

"K-Keroro-kun, could you make up your mind? I've hung this picture seven times now!"

"It's fine like that," Romama nodded. "This place is… Perfect. I suppose this makes me in your debt again, though."

"I suppose so…" Keroro narrowed his eyes and grinned widely in Romama's direction, with a grin that chilled the young Keronian to the core. "And I know exactly what I want for payment! Kururu Soucho!"

"Kuku, got it," Kururu held up a camera, and Romama frowned, confused as to what was going on. Before he knew it, Keroro had him in a hug that he couldn't escape from, and the camera flashed. Mois looked on sadly and Tamama seethed while Romama worked to wriggle away from his nephew.

"Now Ojiisama will have another family photo, too!" Keroro said happily, taking the camera and showing Romama; he was in mid-struggle while Keroro hugged him happily in the photo.

"Bastard thinks that that's all right because he's family!" Tamama ground his teeth as he watched this.

"We'll get you a copy soon, Ojiisama!" Keroro reassured Romama. "Eh? GERO! Admiral Geroro's set to start, and Ojiisama doesn't have a television! Ojiisama, I—"

"Go, I'm tired of dealing with you," Romama sighed, waving off the group. "And… Thank you…"

"No problem, Ojiisama! We can't wait to start visiting you!" Keroro said as he happily skipped out.

"Call, first!" Romama snapped as they filed out; Dororo was the last out, and nodded happily to Romama before shutting the door. Romama sighed and laughed lightly to himself.

"Idiots," he chuckled, and scratched the back of his head. "...But they're not bad if you need a family, I guess."


	32. Zoruru: Emergency Repairs are Needed Pt1

Episode 16:

Zoruru: Emergency Repairs are Needed!

Part 1

Giroro didn't pay much mind to the small flicker of light in the distance; he was too busy playing peacekeeper in the backyard on that particular morning. It had already begun between the two youngest helpers of the invasion.

"Kiichi! Just admit you were wrong! Just admit it already!" Tamama snapped, his fists balled and leaned in; Kirere was in a similar stance—Giroro was watching them, his arms folded and eyes closed. Dororo was seated cross-legged in the doorway of the Hinata household, also watching this.

"But I'm not wrong, you are!" Kirere shouted back, and growled. Tamama returned the growl, and the two leaned in closer.

"They're like a married couple," Giroro grumbled, placing a hand on his head. "Both of you! Stop it, or I'll file a report! I—"

Tamama reached over and flicked Kirere atop the head, then stuck his tongue out at her—She answered by screaming and tackling him. They rolled around the ground, both still yelling and screaming.

"Kirere-chan has a violent streak of her own, it seems," Dororo said as lightly as possible as Giroro attempted in vain to break them apart.

The fight ended when there a yellow beam shot down; both immediately sat up at attention, and Dororo and Giroro stood at attention as down floated Garuru—He wasn't alone, though. Tororo, Taruru, Pururu—And at Pururu's side a medical bed.

"We need your facilities," Garuru said to them as he stood in front of the panicked faces of his platoon. He looked his stoic self, Giroro noticed, but there seemed something off about his brother's demeanor.

"…They need our bathroom?" Kirere whispered questioningly to Tamama. He only sighed in return.

"Zoruru Heicho?" Tamama repeated, and Taruru nodded, taking another sip from his soda can. They were both in the living room, seated on the couches, while Taruru relayed his story to his shisou.

"He just vanished, and when Tororo-san finally tracked him down, he was in… Well, you saw what sort of shape!" Taruru replied. "Pururu-san's good, but Zoruru Heicho's half machine, and… She's not as skilled there. Plus we were closest to your base of operation, Shisou, so it's good you have a lab that'll be able to sustain him until we can get him back to normal! Well, his version of normal at least, hehe…"

"What do you think happened to him?" Tamama asked, and Taruru looked down at his drink.

"He does that sometimes, just goes off on his own… Garuru Chuii always reprimands him for it, but he just keeps doing it. He's sort of a free spirit, I guess. At least that's what Pururu-chan says."

"Taruru," Garuru walked out from the base, and Taruru hopped off of the couch and came to attention. "I'll need you to file a report, make note that we'll be temporarily stationing on this planet until Zoruru Heicho has made a recovery."

"Wow! So we get to stay?!" Taruru asked happily; Tamama's face shown a look of someone who died a bit inside at that moment.

"Yes—But this is no vacation," Garuru replied. "You're to be downstairs helping however you can, Ittohei."

"Yes, sir!" Taruru said, saluting and rushing off. Garuru stared at Tamama a moment, then Tamama slid off of the couch and hurried off to go look busy.

"Wrong drillbit," Kirere said to herself as she revved up the tool, letting the bit spin a little. The grumbled and went to her toolkit, picking out a bigger one and revving up the power tool again; Taruru rushed into the room just in time for this, and immediately gave a yell of surprise. Pururu, Tororo, and Kururu all looked up from the table to him, and he fell back against a trash can—He gave another yell of horror as he saw what looked like some old metallic parts that had belonged to Zoruru.

"Ehehehe, I guess Garuru Chuii told you to come down and help?" Pururu pulled down the mask of her scrubs and smiled at Taruru sympathetically. "Maybe you can help Keroro-kun and his friends? It's a tiny room, we can't have too many people in here at once!"

"Kuku!" Kururu noticed Tororo had stopped typing away at the laptop he had hooked up to Zoruru's vitals for a moment as Kirere started to set up a welding kit in the corner, not turning it on but preparing her own tools. "You want a moment alone or something? Because you're not getting it, kuku!"

"Wha—N-No!" Tororo frowned and grumbled as he returned to typing away at his laptop. "Pupu, looks like he's stable for now…"

"Stable but critical…" Pururu said worriedly to herself, and looked over to Kururu; he'd received the blueprints, and was looking these over while she worked on Zoruru.

"What kinda fight was he in, anyway?" asked Kirere as she pulled out the flint striker from her bag and then a welder's mask.

"How the heck should we know? Pupu, he just runs off and does whatever, comes back beaten up. This is definitely the worst, though, pupupu!"

"Poor Zoruru-san…" Kirere said to herself while Pururu gave Tororo a slight but dirty look from across the operating table. He jerked back a bit and went back to typing on his computer.

"Kuku, I have to process some things," Kururu said as he rolled up the plans and walked over to Kirere. "Nya, Kirere-chan's so cute when she's working hard."

He bent down and kissed her atop the head, and even the little girl jumped in surprise; Tororo stopped his working and Pururu gave a gasp as there soon after came a flatline noise—This was quickly corrected as Tororo returned to typing feverishly.

"Pururu-chan?" Dororo stuck his head in soon after Kururu left while chuckling madly to himself.

"Oh, Dororo-kun!" Pururu gave a small, tired smile at the sight of the ninja, and he nodded, carefully shutting the operating room door as he walked in.

"I was wondering if perhaps I could assist, and if not if I might be able to stay all the same," he said, and she looked up at him, surprised. "…There may be a grudge, one I don't quite understand, but we're both brothers-in-arms when it comes to profession."

"Well… All right. You could help me and bring me some more alcohol—You're almost out."

"Rokiki-san DID find it! I told you he would!" Kirere said to Dororo, who only held up his hands motioning for her wildly to stop while she was ahead.

"Rokiki-san?" Pururu asked as she went back to work. "Is that—"

"He's… Kururu-dono's cousin!" said Dororo after some thought.

"Kururu-san certainly has a big family," Pururu said, looking out the corner of her eye to Kirere as she spoke, then returning to work right after this.

"….I can't believe Rokiki-dono resorted to drinking the pure alcohol…" Dororo said in a grave voice as he walked out to fetch what Pururu needed.

"Great, another group of weird aliens…" Natsumi grumbled as she walked back into the living room with the spare blankets and sheets.

"At least they're on our side, Nee-chan," Fuyuki chimed in as he set down another bundle of sheets and blankets on the couch, then stood straight up. "And it's not like they're staying very long, just until Zoruru Heicho gets better!"

"It's still a pain," she folded her arms and sighed, then looked up and out the glass doors—An awkward sibling reunion was taking place in complete silence out in the backyard between Giroro and Garuru.

At this same time, there came a knocking on the front door; Fuyuki turned his head to the noise and went to answer it; he gave a gasp as he saw it was the rest of the Occult Club—Both members.

"Fuyuki-kun, it was your day to host the Occult Club at your home," Momoka smiled and held up a large picnic basket. "I figured we could make a field trip of it! If… If that's all right with Fuyuki-kun, that is…."

"Sure it is!" Chandi piped up. "I've got to leave early for that, though… Mora needs some help around the office."

She gave Momoka a knowing wink, and the girl blushed; Fuyuki only looked confused by this entire exchange.

"Urm, this might not be the best time, actually…" Fuyuki held out his hands and smiled nervously at the two girls, "It… It's a long story, but—"

"No, we don't have any alcohol… It just vanished," Natsumi replied, looking down at Dororo. "Fuyuki, do you know if we have any more rubbing alcohol?"

"I can get some from my place," Chandi perked up. "Mora started locking it up after Rokiki started drinking it… Where'd he go, anyway?"

"What?" Natsumi blinked.

"Well, he was with me… Wanted to know where Kirere was today," Chandi replied, and looked behind her and to her sides. "…Looks like he just vanished…."

"All right, where are you, you little brat? You know how I feel about no call, no show!" Rokiki called out as he walked into the backyard; heads immediately as Rokiki entered, and the dark red Keronian stopped dead in his tracks as he met eyes with Garuru's, which slowly came out from the visor to look at the dark red Keronian better.

"….And who would this be?" Garuru asked Giroro coolly.

"He… He's…." Giroro looked panicked; Rokiki was no help, standing there in stunned surprise.

'He looks like….' Rokiki shook his head and was back to reality after a cough from Giroro.

"Nii-chan! He's Kirere's tutor!" Giroro interjected.

"I'm WHAT?!" Rokiki snapped. Garuru looked at the twin glares the two other Keronians gave one another, and gave a small sound of interest.

"…Did you just say Nii-chan?" Garuru asked after a long silence.

"I… N-No! You're hearing things!" Giroro answered, his face flushing. "Y-You don't need to come here today, she's busy!" Giroro began to push Rokiki along toward the exit, the other red Keronian not enjoying this one bit and stopping mid-way.

"You think you can just push me a—"

"Yes!" Giroro gave one final push, throwing Rokiki out of the backyard and slamming the gate behind him. Rokiki landed face-first on the ground, and Giroro stood with his back to the gate as Garuru stood there, silent and puzzled.

"…I could have sworn you said "Nii-chan"."

Giroro ground his teeth together and stomped back over to his tent.

Rokiki, meanwhile, lifted himself off of the ground, and was preparing to confront Giroro with his fists when he was suddenly scooped up by Chandi. He wriggled in her grasp before turning around and glaring at the girl.

"Put me down! Now! I order you!" Rokiki snapped at her as he struggled.

"Quiet or I'll show everyone the one thing you're afraid of," Chandi said sternly, and Rokiki immediately stopped.

"You wouldn't…"

"Is that a dare?" she asked coolly.

"You didn't run into Goucho's brother, did you?" Fuyuki asked in a pant.

"Who, the purple one? Yes," Rokiki looked away from the Pekoponians, his expression disturbed. "And I thought for a moment I was looking at…"

"Don't tell us Lupapa, because that'd be gross," Natsumi said with a look of disgust, and Rokiki clenched his teeth.

"It's hard dealing with an unrequited love," Momoka sighed longing. "You start to see them in the strangest places…"

"That just happens to you because you're insane," Rokiki snapped, and was taken aback as Momoka gripped him by the throat.

"Say it again, you Yazuka reject!" she snarled, pulling him out of Chandi's arms.

"Now, now, let's get along," Fuyuki chuckled nervously, and Chandi took back Rokiki from Momoka's grasp. "What were you saying before, Rokiki Tai?"

"I was going to say that when he looked at me, I thought for a moment it was my mother glaring back at me…. Those eyes were so similar," Rokiki said, rubbing his neck and flushing a bit.

"That's just as bad as seeing Lupapa, if not worse," Natsumi said blandly, and there was an overall grunt of consensus from the other Pekoponians. This was followed by a chilling image of Garuru the mother.

Rokiki worked his way out of Chandi's grasp and looked up at the group, then down at the ground, "…I'm going to go home. I need to think over some things. I'll see you there, Chandi."

With that, he walked away, his mind still reeling.

Pururu gave another yawn, and jerked her head back up; Dororo was in the corner meditating, and Kirere was working away at the other side of Zoruru's body, on the mechanical arm, tightening in a few screws. The assassin's vitals had stabilized, and Tororo took this opportunity to take a nap in a corner of the small room.

"Pururu," the medic jerked her head up at the familiar voice of her superior, and glanced at him. "It's been hours, and it's the dead of night now. You need rest."

"I'll be fine, I just need to—"

"That's an order. You're no good to us exhausted," Garuru replied sternly, and she sighed and removed her surgical mask. "I'll watch him myself until you're rested."

"But, you—"

"We'll let you know if anything happens," Garuru replied, and looked down at Kirere. "Kururu will be in to cover for you. We need you rested as well."

"Okay…" Kirere mumbled, followed by a yawn. "I just have to finish this up…"

"Come on," Garuru opened the door for Pururu and looked to his niece, "I'll be right back. Dororo Heicho, you look after them."

"But, I—" Dororo stopped as the door shut, and looked away worriedly.

"It's okay if you have to go for a few minutes," Kirere said. "I'll shout if something happens… And Tororo-san's here if I need anything."

"I'll be back quickly," he said as he rose and hurried out of the room.

"…Guess even ninjas have to use the bathroom, no matter how good they are," Kirere muttered as she went back to work on the arm. "…You'll be able to use this even better when I'm done with it, Zoruru-san! I wanted to paint it, too, but Pururu-san said you might not like that… But if you want flames or something I can do that!"

There was no response from Zoruru—She hadn't really expected one.

She continued with talking to the comatose Keronian as she now worked on the fingers of the metallic arm, "…You know, we're kind of alike. Not the machine part, but… You're two halves of two different things, and I am, too! I know that doesn't make much sense, but… Trust me, I am… It must get kind of lonely looking different. At least I can kinda hide how I'm different… Ah, well…"

She walked over and picked up her small radio from her work center, and switched it on; she looked up for a response from Tororo, but he only continued to sleep soundly. She smiled and turned up the volume a bit, then turned to find some of her finer screwdrivers. Zoruru's Keronian arm slowly reached over his stomach and shut off the radio. He was back to laying flat and still just as Kirere turned around, surprised how the radio had been shut off so quickly. She switched it back on, and went to looking for her screwdrivers.

Again Zoruru's hand reached out, and shut off the chipper pop music. Kirere spun around again in surprise, and picked up the radio, shaking it a few times and listening for anything loose, then switching it back on. Zoruru once more switched it off while her back was turned, and as Kirere went to turn it on again his hand gripped around hers. She gave a loud scream that woke Tororo from his deep sleep and had Dororo at the door within moments.

"Kirere-chan! Are you all right?!" the blue ninja asked as he rushed in, then stopped at the sight of Zoruru. "You've woken up…"

"I don't like that sort of music," Zoruru said to the stunned girl, slowly turning his head so his own red eye looked to her.

"I… I… O-Okay," she stuttered weakly.

He let go of her hand and turned his attention to a puzzled Dororo, "…Zeroro…."

He attempted to get up, but Dororo was quick to attempt to ease him back down, but this was in vain. Zoruru gripped him by the shoulders and pinned him, the blue ninja now on the table Zoruru had been laid upon. This lasted for only a moment—Zoruru's shoulders fell weak, first, and he gave a small grunt, and collapsed. Dororo helped ease him back down onto the table, and stood up, looking down at the other assassin.

"What's going on?" Garuru rushed in, his voice sounding as though he'd run from the very outside of the home back t to the base.

"Pupupu… Looks like he wore himself out," Tororo said with a chuckle from his corner.

Garuru looked down at Zoruru, and surveying the exhausted assassin, "No more movements until Pururu says you're allowed to. You're part of the military—Causing harm to yourself knowingly is damaging government property. Tororo Shinpei, you're relieved as well. I'll have help in there."

"Don't have to tell me twice—I'm starved!" Tororo smiled and stretched.

Zoruru watched as Tororo left happily, followed by Kirere. It was only Garuru and Dororo who remained now.

He'd never been closer to his revenge, but couldn't bring his body to even raise his head.

"What? You're all awake still, too?!" Kirere said, wide-eyed as she walked back up the stairs and into the living room. Keroro looked obviously exhausted, building his model numbly on the floor, while Taruru looked unfazed, gabbing on to an obviously bored Tamama, who also looked about ready to fall asleep. Giroro sat on the couch polishing one of his particularly large guns, and Tororo took a step back as Giroro opened his eyes and looked at the two young Keronians.

"Giroro Goucho thought it best we stay up in case our help was needed," Keroro said with a yawn, laying his head against the side of the couch. "I think it's a form torture, myself…"

"That's okay, we've got plenty to talk about!" Taruru said with a grin to Kirere. "Wow, Kire-chan! You're looking more like your mom every day!"

Kirere's eye twitched a bit, and she started to shake, "…I'm going to get something to eat…" she said darkly.

"…What'd I say?" Taruru asked as he noticed the heavy aura about her.

"I've been looking for a good deathblow like that for a year now, and you find it and don't even mean it," muttered Tamama gravely.

"Someone should go check on them… Giroro Goucho, you go," Keroro said with a yawn. "I'll hold down the fort here…"

"What?! Why me?!" Giroro snapped.

"Because you're family, and family should get in as much bonding time as possible," Keroro muttered, and curled up on the newspaper in a comfortable ball. "Now off you go." He waved Giroro off, and the Corporal growled and set down his gun, grumbling as he walked down the stairs.

"Sorry," Kirere muttered as she and Tororo reached for the same bowl on the dining room table at the same time, her hand falling on top of his; the two sat on the chairs, having a spread of leftovers out in front of them. His face went bright red immediately, and he withdrew his hand. She only looked over at him, confused.

"You look like you're getting sick," she blinked, and Tororo jerked his head back instinctively as she removed one of the gloves on her hand and leaned forward to feel. Taruru looked up from above the couch just enough to watch this, and smiled hopefully.

"Yes, now go in for the kill already! Come on!" Taruru whispered, and Tamama raised his own head up to see what was going on.

"What's going-" he didn't have time to finish his sentence; the very earth began to shake beneath them, and both Kirere and Tororo fell out of their chairs, and Taruru and Tamama back onto the couch. Keroro continued to sleep, even when Fuyuki and Natsumi ran downstairs.

"Stupid Frog, what've you all done now?!" she snapped, and lifted up Keroro, then proceeded to shake the Keronian awake. "Answer me already!"

"Eh, gero?" Keroro's eyes twitched open, and he gripped onto Natsumi for dear life as the first explosion went off. "N-No one told me Fujuju Soucho dropped in!"

"He didn't, he's in California!" Tamama exclaimed, and another explosion went off, this one clear through the glass doors.

"Gi-Giroro Goucho! I lied, you can hold down the fort!" Keroro cried out. "You can hold it down!"


	33. Zoruru: Emergency Repairs are Needed Pt2

Episode 16:  
Zoruru: Emergency Repairs are Needed!  
Part 2

"What was that?" Giroro spun as he felt the floor of the base shake. He drew his gun and turned back around to rush out to the rumbling, which had definitely originated from above him.

He was soon joined by Garuru, and jerked his head back in surprise, "Nii-chan?"

"I felt it, too," Garuru replied, both of his hands clutching onto his sniper rifle as he rushed down the hall. "Where are the rest of your men?"

"Hopefully taking cover," Giroro muttered to himself as he rushed into Keroro's room and then kicked open the door and ran into the living room. From outside he could see Taruru, Tamama, and much to his abject horror, Natsumi dressed in her power suit, and his daughter, all engaged in some sort of battle. Pururu rushed by after a moment, her large syringe in hand, then disappeared.

"K-Kirere! Natsumi!" he yelped as he rushed over to the large glass window, tripping along the way. It was on the strange lump in the edge of the carpet. He stood and growled, kicking at it. Out flew Keroro, who looked up from the ground embarrassed as Giroro pointed his gun down at him.

"Gi-Giroro Goucho! I was just on my way to see you!" Keroro chuckled lightly. Giroro was unimpressed, and only pushed the barrel of his gun in deeper.

"Take care of that later! Come on!" Garuru barked, and Giroro nodded, rushing out of the open doors with his brother at his side.

"Pupupu… I'm no use to them without a computer…" Tororo sat behind the kitchen island, shaking at the loud shooting noises that he heard from outside. He flinched as he heard another one, and shut his eyes. "Pupupu… I-I'm a hacker! I didn't sign up for this!"

He heard a yell then, and Giroro call out Kirere's name. Tororo's head shot up, and he uneasily looked past the island and out to the back yard. He uneasily rose, and clung to the island all while inching toward the open doors. Another shot was given, and he flinched back for a moment, and then broke into a run towards the doors, going as quickly as someone in his shape could.

"Is everything all right in here?" Fuyuki panted, having finally made it down to the lab. He met Kururu right outside the operating room, and saw that the room's blinds had been shut, and the curtain drawn. Kururu stood outside, merely watching the door. At his side was Mois, looking worriedly at the noises coming from inside.

"N-No, you must rest, you don't understand, you—" but Zoruru burst through the door, and Dororo not far behind. Zoruru lunged upward, and was gone into the shadows moments later.

"Could you say a quick escape?!" Mois cried out.

"Kuku, come on, we have to get to work," Kururu merely turned his back on this, even as Dororo jumped up, also vanishing into the same shadow Zoruru had disappeared into.

"Eh?" Fuyuki looked up at the darkness of the tall ceiling, and then was drawn to attention as Kururu gave a short whistle.

"Come on, we can use you, too, kuku!"

"Right. Coming," Fuyuki nodded, following them.

"Bastard won't even come out and fight like a real man," Tamama grumbled, and looked up again at the large ship. It wasn't very large, only about the size of a single-level home, but fired out lasers in every direction that the Keronians and lone Guardian of the Earth went to attack. It was cigar-shaped, and the color was hard to make out in the darkness.

Tamama and Taruru were fighting side by side, as were Natsumi and Garuru, who was once again impressed by her fighting ability. Giroro was on the ground, Pururu knelt next to him, and Kirere on the ground, her eyes shut.

"I could try to get around the front," Pururu suggested.

"No, they'll see you that way," Giroro shook his head. "I'll take her."

"Giroro-kun, you're more specialized for fighting, they need you here," Pururu replied, worried by Giroro's serious expression.

"GWAA!" Tororo crashed right into the bush they'd been hiding behind, and right into Giroro. "Pupupu… I… I made… Alive?"

"Tororo-kun? What're you doing here?" Pururu blinked.

"Eh? H-Hey, she's not…"

"No. She just got hit," Giroro explained, and started to lift her up. "I'll take her, Pururu. Stay here."

Tororo, during this exchange, had stuck his head out, and watched the lasers shooting out from the spaceship, "Pupu… It's going in sequence…"

"What, Tororo-kun?" Pururu poked her head out behind him, and watched.  
"It's not random, it's patterned… Pupupu, any idiot could see it if they watched!"

"Good," Giroro tossed the hacker one of his heavy guns while he clung on to his daughter. "You lead the way."

"What?! Why would I—" but Tororo caught Pururu's look, and gave a grunt. "…Fine. Follow me, just don't lag!"

"Watch who you're talking to, you little brat!" Giroro snapped back quickly.  
Pururu watched them dodge the lasers for a while, in some sort of strange, awkward dance, then her worried look became grave, and she took up her large syringe once again.

At this time, Zoruru appeared, stopping just out of the range of the explosions. He was stunned by the destruction that had already taken place. He also watched Giroro carrying in his daughter, Tororo leading the way slowly.

"He knew this would bring me out," Zoruru said to himself, looking down and away.

"Bring who out?" Zoruru spun around, and there was Dororo, perched upon the Hinatas' fence.

"It's none of your concern, Zeroro!" Zoruru snapped, and looked back to the battle.

"Let's put aside whatever it is you have against me for a time," Dororo suggested. Zoruru said nothing, but looked over to the battle ensuing in front of them. Dororo followed after a moment, and joined Garuru and Natsumi on the battlefield; Tamama and Taruru had both been exhausted of their powers, and Pururu now tended to them.

Giroro was almost to the doors when Natsumi fell. His eyes went wide, and he turned to Tororo, "You can get her the rest of the way! Get her to Kururu! He'll know what to do!"

"Pupu, but, I—" and before he could protest any further, she was in his arms. Tororo's face went bright red, and Giroro charged back into battle. "I… Y-You'll be okay!" he reassured her.

"Natsumi!" he shouted as he rushed to her. Garuru turned his head, and this split-second of lost attention allowed for one of the lasers to strike him.

Now it was down to Dororo and Zoruru, who flew back and forth with attacks on the spaceship, disabling the lasers that tried to follow the two assassins, but in vain.

They managed to get a few blows on the ship itself, with Dororo landing atop it first, then Zoruru. Zoruru managed to cut back some of the thick metal from the top and peel it back before it took off, zigging and sagging and trying to get both of the Keronians off of the top of it. Zoruru was the first to lose his grip, but Dororo, who still had a tight hold on a side of the gash Zoruru had made, quickly grabbed onto him by the wrist, and pulled him inside the ship; Dororo was the next to climb in.

Fuyuki, Mois, and Kururu watched this all from downstairs. As Kururu sat there, his feet up on the control panel and his hands behind his head, he glanced over at the sound of the doors opening, followed by heavy panting.

"Pupu… Made it," Tororo said with a satisfied and tired grin, and then collapsed onto the ground, Kirere going along with him.

Kururu stepped out of his chair, and lifted up Kirere, while Mois took Tororo.  
The scientist said nothing, but for a moment Fuyuki saw an odd expression cross Kururu's face as he looked down at his injured daughter.

As he watched them carry the two little Keronians to the medical ward, Fuyuki looked down for a moment in thought, and then proceeded to run out of the lab.

"Gunso!" Keroro jumped as he heard his name called, and shakily peered out of his hiding place behind the curtains.

"Fu-Fuyuki-dono!"

"Promise you won't use this for anything bad!" Fuyuki said sternly, and Keroro's eyes glistened with gratitude as he saw in the young boy's hand the Kero Ball. Fuyuki knelt down, and Keroro took it in his hands, and looked up at his friend.

"I promise," Keroro replied.

"There it is!" Fuyuki pointed to the ship, which had slowed down some but was still rushing through the nighttime sky. "Gunso, can you get next to it?!"

"Gero gero gero! Races with Kirere-chan have made me a pro at catching up and making last-minute wins, Fuyuki-dono! Hold on!" Keroro instructed him, and Fuyuki gripped on tighter to the green Keronian as Keroro floored the gas of his motorcycle.

It took a little bit of work, but they managed to catch up to the spacecraft; it made a last-minute veer upward, nearly sending both Fuyuki and Keroro back, but Keroro made a quick recovery, and followed.

He reached out for the metal bar of what looked like a ladder leading up to a hatch, and after a few false tries he was able to get a good grip on it, Fuyuki doing the same afterward. He shut off the bike, and it nearly went crashing back to earth, but Fuyuki made a last minute save, and was able to grab hold of the bike.

The climb up the ladder was rough, but Keroro managed it after a great struggle against the speed of the ship. There was a hatch to the right of the ship, and after pulling down the handle, it quickly flew open.

"Come on, Fuyuki-dono!" Keroro called out to Fuyuki after he'd managed to climb into the ship. Fuyuki gave a grunt, and tossed up the bike—Keroro's eyes dilated, and he didn't have enough time to dodge the bike.

"Gunso?!" Fuyuki gasped as he climbed in and saw Keroro crushed beneath his bike, only the hand holding the Kero Ball sticking out. Fuyuki shut the hatch, and then pulled the bike off of Keroro; both went flying down the hall as the ship came to a quick dead halt.

"Gero…. This saving the world instead of attempting to rule it is becoming more and more troublesome," Keroro muttered as he sat, his head on the floor and his legs sticking out in front of him.

"Come on, Gunso! I hear them!" Fuyuki called out, grabbing Keroro by the hand and leading him down the hall.

They stopped at the front of the ship, and what looked like the control room. Dororo and Zoruru both passed them in flashes, both dodging shots and trying to land attacks at the alien that stood in the center of the room.

It was shorter than an adult Keronian, but had a pair of yellow bright eyes that looked out from beneath a wide-brimmed brown hat. A heavy brown cloak hid the rest of him, although two hands, both wearing worn leather gloves, protruded out, and with both hands he shot at the two with large silver guns.

Dororo was in his range, but much to the surprise of the ninja, Zoruru deflected the attack with one of the blades of his metallic arm.  
Dororo took this opportunity to escape, and run for the alien. It only jumped up, landing on a high arch that helped support the room.

"Gunso, now!" Fuyuki called out, and Keroro nodded, pressing a button on the Kero Ball. He gave a yell as both he and Fuyuki started to float.

"N-Not that one, Gunso!" Fuyuki yelped.

"Wrong one… Maybe it's…" Keroro hit another button. This one only sent the ship shipping. "GERO! W-Wrong one again!" he yelped, and pressed more buttons in vain. The lights on the ship started to blink on and off, and it was clear that they were losing altitude. The alien who owned the ship jumped down, and began to work the controls, pressing a series buttons until it was stable.

His shoulders fell in relief, but this was short lived. He stiffened as he felt two blades at his back, not piercing but giving warning to any sudden moves.

Keroro hit another button on the Kero Ball, and both he and Fuyuki crashed down onto the ground. Keroro recovered after a moment, and walked over to Dororo.

"Dororo! How impressive! That's the assassin I know!" he patted the ninja on the shoulder. "I just wish that I could figure out what button…."  
He fumbled with the Kero Ball, pressing another one of the buttons; this sent an electrical shock through all of the Keronians, as well as the other invader.

"…Gunso…" Fuyuki sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"Gero… Found it," Keroro coughed.

Garuru looked down at the fellow alien with disdain. He stood in the living room of the Hinata household, his eyes on the ground and his hat hiding his face. Garuru continued to stare down the alien. His clothing was still singed from the electrical shock he'd received.

"What planet do you come from?" Garuru asked him finally, the cold stare remaining on the alien.

"Lapon," he answered, his voice muffled from beneath the hat and cloak. "My name is Porara."

"Porara? The son of that bounty hunter?"

"Yes," he looked up at Garuru with a glare. "Your soldier attacked me!" he snapped, pointing directly to Zoruru.

"I engaged him in combat, Chuii," Zoruru replied. "But it was mutual sparring. He used unfair tactics in his fight, and still lost."

"He's still young, it's in his nature to be rash sometimes," Garuru looked down at Porara. "You were upset about your loss?"

Porara said nothing, but looked away, muttering something beneath his breath.

"Your pride was damaged," Garuru added. "So you sought him out with knowledge he wouldn't be able to take another fight so soon after….. What's between you is done. I'll make sure Zoruru Heicho is reprimanded, but you're not to be seen in this galaxy again."

"Garuru Chuii would be a good Papa, he has the sternness down quite nicely!" Keroro whispered to Tamama. Tamama stood there, Fuyuki behind them, and he nodded. Garuru glanced over to them briefly, then his attention went back to Porara.

"We're finished here, Porara. Go home," Porara nodded, and trudged away from Garuru.

"….He's on his way to be one of the most feared in the galaxy," Garuru said as they watched Porara walk out by himself. There was a strong gust of wind, and Porara's hat blew away. He managed to make a quick save of it, but not before he looked back and knew from the expressions of everyone that they'd seen the two long furry ears. Even Zoruru seemed a little surprised by Porara's looks, even if he'd only been offered a brief glimpse.

Porara looked back at them for a few more moments, and trudged off toward his damaged ship, his face reddening beneath his heavy cloak.

"…The most feared man in the galaxy…. Looks like that…." Tamama deadpanned.

"Well, there's always Ojiisama and his ballet," Keroro sighed.

"How is Romama?" Garuru asked as he stood beside Keroro, in a voice just loud enough for the sergeant to hear.

"He's fine, he—Gero?"

"That's good to know," Garuru nodded, and turned his back on the group, leaving Keroro there, visibly shaken.

Downstairs, the beds in the recovery room were near full. Natsumi was sitting up on the side of hers, stretching and rubbing her bandaged arm. Taruru was attempting to cough, although puzzled as no noise came out—He'd gone hoarse exerting himself, Pururu had said. Dororo was asleep, as were Tororo and Kirere, whose beds were beside one another.  
Kirere yawned and opened one eye, then another one, "Eh? Tororo-kun? What's he doing here?"

"Oh, good, you're awake!" Pururu smiled as she walked over to the young girl and felt her forehead, "Feels like your fever's gone down… Tororo-kun carried you to here, all by himself!"

"He did?" Kirere asked, and sat up. "Why would he do that?"

Taruru turned around on his bed, and attempted to tell Kirere, but no sounds came out. Pururu stepped out of his line of view and smiled at the little girl.

"Both of your parents were worried about you!" Pururu exclaimed to her.

"Kuku, not really," Kururu chuckled as he stood in the doorway of the recovery room. Giroro came behind him and placed a fist atop Kururu's head. "Kuku, what's that for, Senpai? I knew she'd do fine."

"That's not what you were thinking," Giroro growled. Kururu only answered with another chuckle.

"Are you sure you're well enough for this?" Dororo called out from across the field. Zoruru said nothing, only stood there, unmoved by the wind.  
Koyuki watched from a distance, sitting on the grassy field and watching the standoff.

"Oh?" she looked up and saw she wasn't alone; Saburo took a seat next to her and watched the fight, a bit of a devilish smile on his face.

"I just finished visiting Kururu and Kirere-chan. I heard my chess buddy was having a sparring competition, so I came over," he said good-humoredly. Another breeze went by, and Saburo brought his knees up to his chin. "This looks like it'll be a good one!"

Zoruru was the first to make a move; Dororo did the same, lunging identically. The two passed by one another, Dororo using his blade, and Zoruru his hand. The only thing that had been slice was a single leaf, unfortunate to have come in the path of the two assassins. It was sliced evenly four ways.

"Zeroro… Enough games. This ends now," Zoruru said, holding up his hand and looking back over his shoulder to a surprised Dororo, who was still in a fighting stance. Dororo stood, and turned around, blinking.

"As you wish, Rolulu."

"Who?" Zoruru blinked, and stopped the run he'd started.

"…That's not your name?" Dororo asked, wide-eyed with horror. "My mistake… Koriri?"

Zoruru said nothing, but was stunned into silence; moments later he was faded, then finally vanished, leaving Dororo there by himself.

"…Do you think that's a draw?" a confused Saburo asked an equally puzzled Koyuki.

"…What did I say?" Dororo asked himself.

"Pururu," Pururu turned her head at the sound of her name, and stood from her computer, saluting Garuru as he walked in. "…That's all right."

"Did you come about your arm? It's not well enough to have the stitches taken out, I'm afraid…"

"No, it's… How far back do military medical records go?" Garuru asked.

"Well…" Pururu sat again, and began to type away, "Fairly far… Is there someone you wanted to look up?"

"Rokiki Tai," Garuru answered, and Pururu nodded, and began to type away.

"That's an old one!" she blinked as the results pulled up. "It's only halfway translated out of ancient Keron! Let's see… Here's a picture of him here…"  
Garuru studied the sepia-colored photo of Rokiki, dressed in full military regalia.

"It doesn't site any major medical problems, but there are some mentions of an addictive personality and anger issues," Pururu read. "Oh! He's from that tribe!"

"Tribe?"

"Mm," Pururu nodded. "It's an ancient Keronian one…. Supposedly wiped out during an ancient Keron War."

"Supposedly?"

"Well, they've never proven it, but there's always been speculation that a few escaped the planet, including the tribe leader's wife… That would've been Rokiki Tai's mother, if I'm not mistaken! That triangle tattoo, the size of it was unique to the tribe, I think… They had hundreds of different tattoos, no one's really sure what they all mean anymore… Permission to ask why you'd be looking him up?"

"Curiosity," Garuru answered, and walked out without another word. Taruru only waved to him on his walk down the hall, still without his voice. Tororo scrambled to dodge Garuru as he himself walked back to his computer room, piles of snacks in hand. And then there was a Zoruru, looking out one of the ship windows.

Garuru stood there until Zoruru noticed him, "I suppose if you're well enough to go off on your own you're well enough for duty?"

Zoruru answered with a nod, and Garuru returned this, and continued his walk back down to his quarters. Zoruru looked out again at the large blue planet, and saw his own gray and metal reflection in it as well.

"Another day, Zeroro," Zoruru said to himself, and turned away from the window.


	34. Kirere: An End-of-Summer Friendship Pt1

Soooo I made a whole big deal about taking a break for my birthday and whatnot. I had so much free time on my birthday I gravitated toward that which I love most. The result is before you. My gift to you, I hope you like it. Or that you don't have one already. Or that it fits. I have the gift receipt, if not.

Episode 17:  
Kirere: An End-of-Summer Friendship  
Part 1:

"What?! I just thought it'd make sense!" Haruki said as he took another bite of his sandwich then looked up from the car engine he was leaning over. Kirere rolled out from beneath the engine and sat up, blinking curiously at Rokiki, who was growling and tossing around the books aggressively at his desk.

"What'd you say to him?" Kirere wondered aloud, and Rokiki only continued to grumble, while Haruki took another bite of his lunch and leaned against the car.

"I was just asking him why he doesn't date that other alien he lives with," Haruki explained, and Rokiki turned around on his stool, teeth grit.

"It is kind of like you two are already married… Hey, that'd make Chandi-san your daughter!" Kirere said with a happy gasp.

"I hate children!" Rokiki snapped, turning back around to his desk. "I hate how much that woman nags me already… And I hate both of you. Suzuyama, if you think so highly of her, you date her!"

"You're really deflecting this…" Haruki said flatly. "You've thought about it, haven't you?"

"I don't see what business either of you two have lecturing me about that! It's not like either of you have gone out with anyone in the time I've been here!" Rokiki grumbled, then gave a grunt of dissatisfaction as he looked over the numbers. "…Looks like we've got eight more unaccounted for parts missing from the shop…"

Haruki sighed and placed a hand on his forehead, "That's eight more this week! Maybe I need a new guard dog to—"

"No!" Rokiki snapped in a panic that made both Haruki and Kirere curiously. The red Keronian was quick to regain his composure. "I-I mean, why not just invest in something that doesn't carry fleas?"

"Let me guess, you hate dogs, too?" Haruki sighed.

"I'm taking lunch," Rokiki hopped off of his stool and walked out of the front door. "Hopefully when I get back you fools won't be obsessing over my private life, and you'll have gotten some yourselves!"

"He really needs a girlfriend," Kirere muttered, and Haruki nodded.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Kirere gasped happily. "We'll have a sleepover?"

"Eh?"

"To catch whoever's doing this! We can set up traps and everything!"  
"I… I'm a little old for sleepovers, kiddo," Haruki said apologetically. "Maybe with your other friends…"

"I don't really have any other friends," Kirere answered, and Haruki's brow twitched at the crestfallen look that followed.

"You realize she just manipulated you," Rokiki sipped from his cup of ramen, and Haruki sighed and nodded.

"I know…" he answered, cursing as he found his own cup of Ramen too hot. "What can I say, she's good at it!"

Both of the men were seated on the floor of Haruki's apartment, while Kirere watched from the window sill for any signs of movement in the junkyard.

"Nothing yet," she called out, followed by a yawn.

"Come on, you need your sleep," Haruki lifted up the young girl from the window, and she gave a grumble. "I've known you long enough to know all about your bedtime…"

"How'd you talk your father into letting you stay tonight, anyway?" Rokiki asked as Haruki set the little girl down on his bed.

"I told him I was staying over with Chandi-san, and that you'd watch out for us," Kirere replied, giving another yawn.

Rokiki and Haruki looked at her, stunned. Rokiki went to start for the child, but Haruki quickly lifted the Keronian up by the head to prevent him from moving any further toward her.

"A great manipulator," Haruki sighed as Kirere shut her eyes and rolled over.

"What do you expect from a woman?" Rokiki sighed, folding his arms. Haruki lifted up the Keronian to his level and frowned.

"So now you hate women, too?"

"I never said I liked them," Rokiki answered, but his eyes immediately went wide as he realized how this came out sounding. Haruki started to laugh, and Rokiki struggled to break out of Haruki's grasp. "I didn't mean it like that! Put me down, Suzuyama, put me—"

The crashing noise from the garage brought both men to attention, and Kirere bolted up in bed. Haruki quietly set Rokiki down, then walked to a corner of his home, grabbing a tire iron. Rokiki reached from beneath the bed, pulling out a long dagger.

"…When d-did you hide that there?" Haruki asked, his voice cracking.

"You were asleep," Rokiki answered coolly, looking out of the side of his eye to Haruki.

"I'm going with you," Kirere lifted up her wrench from her backpack, and Rokiki looked back to her.

"You can guard Suzuyama," Rokiki said quietly as they filtered out of the apartment and quietly into the next-door garage.

There was a rummaging noise from behind one of the cars in the garage; Rokiki stayed in the shadows, his blade closeby, while Kirere following Haruki over to the noise.

What happened next came in a series of flashes. There were several loud crashes, yells, and a flash of light from Rokiki's blade.

When Rokiki managed to fumble toward a light switch, he turned on the light to find Haruki passed out over the car, the left side of his hair much shorter than the right, a young boy laid out on the ground, a fistful of copper wiring in his hand, and Kirere top the boy, a good sized lump atop of her head.

"Idiots…" Rokiki sighed.

The young boy and Kirere started to wake up at the same time, both blinking and waiting for their vision to come into focus. Both gave a scream of surprise, and the boy bolted up, sending Kirere flying. He ran for the door, only to fall short, having been tripped over by Rokiki.

"Now… I think you have some explaining to do," the boy shook as he stared down Rokiki's blade.

"It was just starting to grow back, too," Haruki bemoaned as he caught sight of his lop-sided haircut in the mirror.

"It... It's okay, it'll grow back again!" Kirere reassured him, and then flinched—Both wore matching ice packs as they sat on one side of the floor, while the frowning boy sat on the other side of the small table they'd dragged out, his arms folded and his eyes averted to the ground.

He wasn't very old, twelve at the most. His hair was just as badly cut as Haruki's and light-brown, almost auburn, and tied back in a small ponytail. His eyes were light brown as well, and angry. He wore an orange and white shirt, jeans, and old red canvas sneakers. He glanced up at Haruki and the others briefly before looking back down at the ground silently.

Rokiki sat in between the two groups, at the head of the table. His sword remained at his side, one hand over it.

"Now explain yourself," Rokiki snapped to the boy.

"Go jump off a cliff!" the boy snapped back.

"Why you little—" Haruki quickly interjected, though, holding out an arm to Rokiki.

"Hey, kid, why don't you one of your CDs?" Haruki looked down to Kirere, whose brow furrowed in confusion.

"That's a little harsh, even for me," Rokiki muttered as Kirere stood and walked back with the radio and a few of her CDs.

Haruki flipped through a few CDs, until picking out one and placing it in the player. The boy now noticed Rokiki had put a pillow over his head to muffle out any noise.

After ten minutes of the cheery pop music, the boy was weeping and spilling his guts to Haruki, who merely watched them calmly. Kirere looked annoyed by this entire exchange.

"…It's not that bad!" she shouted over the noise.

"M-My name is Hiroshi! I… I was just doing this for fun! You can call my mom, take me to jail, please, just turn it off!" the boy cried out.

Haruki switched off the music, then removed the earplugs from his own ears, "Did you say something?"

"Here you go," Rokiki removed his reading glasses, and handed Haruki the printed out slip. The mechanic handed it over to Hiroshi, and the boy balked at the number. It was the following day, and he'd come to pay his dues for what he'd stolen from Haruki's garage.

"I… I have to pay this?!" he yelped. "B-But how?!"

"You can start with the floors," Haruki passed the boy a mop, and then pointed to Kirere. "She's your boss. Do what she says."

"I… I'll tell them you're doing weird experiments, that you have weird pet dinosaurs!" he shouted.

Haruki gave a yawn, "Good luck with that…"

"Everyone thinks Haruki's crazy already, so no one believes him!" Kirere said happily.

"It's true," Haruki answered with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head.

"I… I'll take videos! I'll show everyone!" Hiroshi shouted, but Haruki only went back to work.

"Come on, I'll show you where to start," Kirere waved him over, dragging an empty bucket along with her.

"Isn't anyone listening?!" Hiroshi shouted.

"…That's why I hate children…" Rokiki grumbled as he resumed his own work.

"Just you wait… You'll all be on the news…." Hiroshi grumbled as he mopped the concrete porch outside of the garage, while Kirere sat on an old refrigerator and alternated between sipping from a juice box and tinkering with a small item. "Don't you hear me?!" he shouted, standing upright and snapping at Kirere.

"Kire… I think I did something wrong…" she muttered as she hit the radio a few times to try to switch it on. The boy set aside the mop and grabbed the device up, opening it in the back and looking it over for a few moments.

"You have the batteries switched," he said plainly.

"W-What?!" she yelped, bolting up and seeing that indeed the batteries were in the wrong way. Hiroshi flipped these, and the radio back down. It was functioning perfectly. Kirere plopped back onto the top of the fridge, befuddled by what had just happened. Hiroshi went back to mopping.

"So… You like to build things, too?" she asked, still inspecting the device.

"What's it to you?" he glanced up at her sharply, and then there was a bit of silence between them, "…Yeah, my dad and I used to build things all of the time…"

"That's great! One of my dads and I do that, too!" Kirere exclaimed.

"I said we used to," Hiroshi repeated, and Kirere's smile fell.

"Oh… You don't anymore?"

"No. He left," Hiroshi answered. "…Are your parents together?"

"N-No… They never were, it… It's a long story," she answered with a hesitant smile, then stood up. "Hey, I know! You'll help me build something!"

"Huh?"

"Come on!" Kirere hopped off of the fridge and rushed to the back of the junkyard. "…Come on!" she repeated as she saw Hiroshi standing in place.

He hesitated a moment before setting aside the broom and running quickly behind her.

"And then this… Goes here…" Haruki heard Kirere say as she sat on the ground, a hubcap in her hands. Hiroshi was bent over, adjusting a few wires on the device they were building.

"Shop's closing… Eh… What are you two doing here?" Haruki tilted his head to a side, in an attempt to make sense of the machine.

"It's supposed to scare off people who want to rob you!" Kirere explained, and as she did, Rokiki walked out, his arms folded and his face skeptical.

"It looks like a piece of garbage decorated with garbage…" Rokiki snorted. Hiroshi flipped a switch on the machine, and it began to emit barking, howling, and growling noises.

Everyone's eyes were on Rokiki now, who had shimmied up Haruki and gripped onto the mechanic's neck in pure panic.

"Rokiki-san's afraid of dogs?" Kirere frowned.

"You're… Choking me!" Haruki bent over, and with a great deal of effort managed to pull Rokiki off of him.

"I… I'm not afraid! I just don't like loud noises, it brings me back to the battlefield!" Rokiki snapped, trying to regain his cool but still looking shaken.

"You are," Kirere said with a giggle. "Oh?" she turned her head at the sound of a distant ringing, and looked back up at Haruki. "I have to get home! You'll use that, right?"

"Definitely," Haruki said with a devilish grin, glancing over at Rokiki.

"Can I go, too? I don't think I could mop anymore… I'd die before I could!" Hiroshi exclaimed in a moan.

"Fine, fine," Haruki waved him off, and looked back down at the machine. Rokiki was walking back to the garage, still holding his chest and waiting for his heart to stop beating so quickly. He broke into a run again as one of the kicks Haruki gave the machine made it resume its barking.

"You want a ride?" Kirere walked over to a form covered in a dust sheet, and Hiroshi snorted as she pulled it off, revealing her bike.

"In that little thing? Do you even know how to drive it right?!"  
Kirere turned around, and looked at him silently.

"You can slow down!" he shouted, gripping onto the Keronian for dear life as they sped through the city under Kirere's cloaking device. They zoomed down the streets, creating a strong gust of wind as they did.

"Sorry, can't hear you, you said up?!" she shouted back, and zoomed upward, then coming to a complete stop over the city.

"…You're a jerk, you know that?!" he snapped at her.

"You're still the jerk who was stealing from us!"

"I was just doing it to help my mom!" he snapped back, and Kirere fell silent. "…She says things are too hard here, if they don't get better, that we're going to have to move in with her family to America… I was thinking, maybe if I got some money, then we wouldn't have to move…"

"I… I'm sorry…." Kirere said in a quiet voice, near a whisper. "….I just don't like it when people don't think I can do something, is all…"

"…That's what my mom says about moving…. That I can't do anything except stay positive…"

"Sometimes I think we're going to go back to our planet, and knowing I can't do anything about doesn't make me feel much better…"

"Your planet?" Hiroshi repeated, his voice cracking. Kirere paled, and her mouth twitched.

"D-Don't tell me I did it again…" she groaned, drooping her head.

"Wait, so you get to do all of that, and I have to do to school, like a regular kid?! No fair! And that creep Suzuyama told me you were sprites who would curse me if I didn't come back or told on you, and I believed him! Are… Are you sure you don't want water?" Hiroshi's eyes were wide as Kirere finished off the wasabi peas by licking her fingers, and she became aware of this halfway through, and only looked up at him, confused.

"Why?"

"N-No reason," he answered with an uncomfortable chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "So you guys are going to invade?"

She turned the bag over to see if anything would fall out of the bag of snacks Hiroshi had provided her, but was disappointed as she found nothing. They sat out on the flat roof directly outside of Hiroshi's window, where his window sat open while all of the lights of the house were switched off.

"Do… Do you think if you guys do invade, you'll make it so my mom and I can stay? I… I know it's a big favor to ask, but…"

"Sure! That's if we invade… Ojiisama's not really… The most competent when it comes to some things…" she muttered off-handedly.

"That's why you guys haven't invaded yet, right?"

"T-That's right," she chuckled with embarrassment.

"Hey!" both turned their heads, and Hiroshi jumped at the sight of Romama landing down on the roof in front of them. "Where have you been?!"

"Romama-kun?! Huh, I… Am I late?" Kirere asked.

Hiroshi looked back into his room, and scuttled up as he saw the digital clock read that it was three in the morning. "I have to get to school in the morning! See ya tomorrow!"

"….I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Kirere said with sigh as she hopped back onto her bike.

"I didn't disrupt anything, did I?" Romama asked as he climbed on behind her.

"What're you talking about?" Kirere wondered aloud, and Romama cleared his throat.

"You know, with you and that boy…" Romama answered hesitantly, and Kirere flushed, and snapped her head so she was staring straight ahead.

"I-I-It wasn't anything like that!"

"It's all right… I won't tell on you," Romama reassured her, and Kirere looked over her shoulder to him momentarily. But more importantly she looked even further, toward Hiroshi's house.

The tight embrace Giroro gave her when she finally came home was almost immediately greeted by her grounding. Kururu looked unimpressed and tired by the entire affair, and simply shuffled away, letting Giroro cover the dirty work. From his mere grunt of acknowledgement to Kirere, it was clear Giroro had forced him awake.

"W-Where were you this late, anyway?!" Giroro demanded, still recovering from the fright of her missing.

"I—"

"She was at the junkyard… She got carried away with working on another project," Romama interjected, and Kirere looked up at him, surprised. Giroro looked over to Kirere for affirmation, and she quickly nodded. Giroro sighed and thought for a moment.

"You're out of trouble for now, but try to remember better next time, Kirere," Giroro said wearily, much to her surprise. "Get some rest now…" he added, patting her on the shoulder as she passed.

"Ro… Romama-kun…."

"It was like that for Kodada-chan and me," he tilted his head down and remembered with a small flush. "I won't tell on you, but be more careful, all right?"

"R-Right," she nodded, and Romama was off again, hopping onto the fence and then onto the neighboring household roof. Kirere thought to herself a moment, then smiled and giggled, and walked into the Hinata household.


	35. Kirere: An End-of-Summer Friendship Pt2

Glad I can be here to write, but being sick stinks. Had to miss three days of school, which in college, is like missing a month x.x'' Blessedly, the teachers are understanding. They say don't come if you're sick, so hey, I'm not going.

Anyway, here's the next installment :) Hope you enjoy and didn't mind my rambling, lol.

Episode 17:  
Kirere: An End-of-Summer Friendship  
Part 2

The alarm went off again, and Rokiki jumped, soon after gritting his teeth and stomping over to the door. Two weeks he'd been having to deal with just this, the alarm sounding off whenever one of the employees of the shop entered… He looked exhausted from the stress of it.

"It's just me!" Kirere called out as she ran in, tossing her backpack to one side. Haruki pulled up his welding mask and looking out to the young girl, then waving to her.

"Hey, Kirere!" Hiroshi popped up from behind the car Haruki had been working on, mop in hand.

"Huh? You're already here?" Kirere blinked with surprise.

"Yeah!" he set the mop aside and walked over to her. "Come on, I have something I was working on before you got here! Let me show you!" he waved her toward him, and the girl hesitated a moment before Haruki motioned for her to follow the young boy.

"Hehe, reminds me of when I was young, how about you?" Haruki said with a grin to Rokiki, who walked back to his desk with the ripped-out speaker of the machine in hand. The red Keronian set it down neatly on the desk and resumed his typing in silence. "Eh? You weren't really popular with the ladies then either, were you?"

"Again, it's none of your business," Rokiki grumbled. "…I forgot something at my house. I'm taking five, Suzuyama."

With that, Rokiki hopped off of the stool, and out of the garage, hearing the laughter from the junkyard as he walked out of the office.

The walk to his home wasn't a long one, and Chandi was already home from school when he arrived. He arrived to what he could only equate as chaos, with Mora rushing through the home, nearly knocking him down, and Chandi following her mother, looking pained and bored.

"OH! Roki-kun! Just the person I was looking for!" she stopped in front of Rokiki, two dresses on hangers in either and. "Which one do you like better?"

There was some silence from Rokiki as he computed this, and he slowly pointed to the one on the right.

"This one it is!" Mora announced, holding up the one on the left and tossing the other to Chandi, then rushing back to her room.

"What's going on with her? Does she have another wedding to go to?"

"Worse, she's got a date," Chandi said darkly.

"Chandi! Come help me with makeup!" Mora called out from her room, and Chandi answered with another groan.

Rokiki watched as Chandi trudged off, and glanced down at the ground a moment, frowning. He then shook his head, and cursed Haruki's name quietly to himself.

"Hey, it works!" Kirere gasped happily as the old projector clicked and hummed to life, and she looked at hers and Hiroshi's work, delighted. She continued to hop about the old machine, making adjustments, while Hiroshi laughed with amusement.

"Yeah, this is what my dad and I were working on before he left," Hiroshi explained, and Kirere stopped her adjustments, looking up to him stunned. "It's okay. It's been collecting dust for years, so it's about time it got to working. Hey, we should watch a movie on it sometime! I think we still have some at my place!"

"R-Really?" Kirere choked a bit, and Hiroshi tilted his head, puzzled by her reaction to this.

"Yeah… Unless that's too low-tech for you guys…."

"N-No, it's fine! I… I have to get my screwdriver!" she called out, bolting up and rushing to the garage.

"But… You're holding your screwdriver…" Hiroshi muttered.

"Eh? It warm out there?" Haruki walked over as he heard the door slam and saw Kirere leaned against it, her face bright red. "…Oh? Hehehe, I get it! You mean you like him?"

"I… I do not!"

"It's okay, I was like that at your age, too! In fact, there was this one girl, when I lived in the country with my grandma, she was—Eh, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kirere looked offward, and frowned.

Haruki thought for a moment, and knelt down next to her, "Don't worry, if he's a jerk, I might not be able to do as much as your parents, but we'll make sure he doesn't hurt you, okay?"

Kirere nodded; this was part of what she was afraid of.

"Here you go!" Kirere landed on Hiroshi's roof, and he hopped off of the bike and onto the roof of his house.

"Hehehe, my mom's been wondering how I've been coming in through the back door so quietly!" Hiroshi laughed, and scratched the back of his head. "Eh? What's wrong?"

"Did… You want to bring by one of those films tomorrow? O-Or I was thinking after we were done with work, w-we could go to one at a theater!" Kirere sputtered, gripping onto the handles of her bike tightly.

"Eh? Yeah, um, sure," Hiroshi nodded. "I'll come by your place."

"A-About eight all right?"

"Yeah, it's a date," Hiroshi answered lightly, and Kirere nearly fell off of her bike at these words. "Seeya."

"See ya…" she mumbled numbly, and Hiroshi hopped into his room via his window. "…It's a date…" she repeated, and then gave a giggle, and sped off. "It's a date!"

Giroro kept vigil by the fire as usual, poking at it every now and again and taking a bite of the newspaper-wrapped sweet potato at his side. He felt a familiar chill, followed by the hot smell of curry. He looked up at the looming shadow, and there stood Kururu.

"What are you doing above ground at this hour?" Giroro asked, looking at the scientist suspiciously.

"Kuku! I was wondering if she was having dinner with you for a change..."

"Kirere? She's not home yet?" Giroro bolted up with surprise.

"She's doing that a lot lately…" Kururu turned as Giroro rushed into the house, and directly to Keroro's room.

"GERO! G-Giroro Goucho! I-I-I-I was just starting on the invasion plans! Really, just right now!" Keroro sputtered as he desperately tried to hide his spread newspaper and the half-assembled Gupla laid out on it beneath a low table. Mois looked up from her tea, and Tamama his comic book and snacks.

"She's not here, either…" Giroro said in a panicked mutter as he began to search behind the furniture in the room.

"All I wanted to know was if I could eat her share, kuku!" Kururu chuckled, and Giroro whipped around, grabbing the scientist firmly by the throat.

"How can you even think about yourself at a time like this when—Kirere!"  
The little girl's smile was blissful, and she walked past the puzzled group humming happily to herself, closing the door without a word.

"Could you say walking on clouds?" Mois quipped cheerfully.

"…What do you think got into her exactly?" Keroro wondered, looking toward the door.

"Kukuku, it's not from my side—Ack!" Kururu flinched as Giroro's grip tightened a little, and then left. Kururu fell to the ground, grumbling and rubbing his throat, and Giroro looked at the door Kirere had walked through, not knowing exactly what to think.

"What a day…" Rokiki trudged in and closed the door behind himself, and shuffled into the living room, which, like the rest of the house, was decorated almost exclusively in Indian-style furniture. There were a few Japanese elements to the home, but Indian wall-hangings and statues far outweighed these.

Chandi walked down the staircase, and looked down at Rokiki angrily, "I'm surprised you're not stumbling in…"

"What did I do?!" he barked, and Chandi frowned, and looked toward the staircase.

"Nothing, just… Mora got stood up…. Again…"

"Not my problem, she should have better taste in men," Rokiki grumbled as he trudged up the stairs to his bedroom, which was located next to Mora's.

"He's such a jerk," Chandi huffed, and stormed into her room, which was located downstairs.

Rokiki was just about to climb the small handmade stool he'd made to reach his doorknob when he stopped. It took him a few moments to register the noise, and his hand drooped as he did realize what it was. Mora was crying on the other side of the door. He stood there a moment, listening to this, and then walked into his room, his mind now heavy.

"Maybe this one?" Kirere had pulled out all of her drawers, and went about rummaging through her things, looking for anything that would work. "No… This one…"

"I don't see why you own so much of this when you don't even wear it, kuku! Seems like a waste of space…" Kirere jumped at the sound of Kururu's chuckling, and her eyes went wide.

"I-I was just cleaning!" she sputtered, a jacket she'd been holding up behind her back. "That's all!"

"Kuku, you get your lying skills from the old man," Kururu said with amusement, and Kirere's shoulders fell with defeat.

"Don't tell him, all right? Please?!"

"Don't tell him? About what?"

"About my dat—Oh, I get it!" Kirere smiled, and gave a giggle. Kururu returned this with a chuckle of his own, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Kirere-chan has a date?" Mois clasped her hands over her mouth.

"Mm, and she made me promise not to tell Senpai…" Kururu sat laid back in his chair, and took another handful of spicy chips from the bag seated next to him, and began to munch away at these. It was the following morning, and these snacks served as his breakfast, "Didn't say anything about you, though, kukuku!"

And from there word quickly spread, until Giroro was seated on the living room couch, looking blankly into nowhere while polishing his best gun.

"…He's been like that for hours…" Keroro stopped his sweeping as Natsumi walked in and waved a hand in front of the red soldier, but to no avail.

"What happened? Wait, Garuru's not visiting again, is he?" Natsumi snapped her head over to Keroro, and the Keronian sighed flippantly.

"Kirere-chan's got a date… Myself, I think Giroro Goucho's blowing this out of proportion…" Keroro soon found himself with Giroro's gun pressed against his face, and the corporal with a strong grip on him.

"You can't possibly know my pain, you've never dealt with this," Giroro said darkly to a terrified Keroro. "You don't know the stress that comes with parenting, you couldn't know a tenth of it!"

"I think it's nice… At least someone's getting a date around here…" Natsumi sighed unhappily, and Giroro snapped his head up to her. "Don't take it so seriously, Giroro! He might be nice!"

"I… I suppose you're right… Maybe he's a warrior in his own right…" Giroro lowered his gun. "I'll follow them, just to be certain he's the right kind of person."

"Oh, no you don't," Natsumi lifted him up the head and glared. "I'll tie you up, if I have to! No one wants their parents to follow them on their dates! Just relax, she's probably told him enough about you already for him to be scared. I've got to get to shopping, don't do anything weird or embarrassing to her, all right? At least try to be a little normal for once!"

"….I'm not sure if normal is something that's doable for us, Natsumi-dono," Keroro sighed as he saw Giroro still fretting.

"…That's not it, either!" Kirere huffed and wiped her face off. She jumped and fell off of the stool she was perched on as she saw Giroro in the reflection, and he managed to grab her by the arms, and prop her back up.

He looked her over for a moment; she'd dressed up for the occasion already; a short denim skirt, green zip-up sweater, and purple shirt with her symbol on it.

"I… Was just practicing looking like a Pekoponian for the invasion is all!" she answered quickly. Giroro looked down at the makeup spread out, and picked up the powder foundation. Kirere looked at him anxiously, knowing she was in trouble.

"…Is he nice?" he asked, putting the foundation back down on the counter. Kirere flushed bright red, and nodded.

"I… I thought you'd be mad," she said quietly, looking up at him.

"No, I'm not. Just… Take this…" Giroro cleared his throat and laid a small gun-shaped object on the counter.

"Huh?"

"It's to protect yourself. That's the clip, here's the gun," he pulled out from behind himself a large silver gun, taller than even he was. At this point Keroro and Tamama stepped in, and drug him out while he protested.

"W-What do you think you're doing?!" Giroro snapped. "Y-You can't do this!"

"And you were doing so well, too," Keroro sighed as they stopped just outside of the door.

"You think you can do something?" Kururu walked over, with Aki at his side. Mois, too, was there, a small bag of makeup in one of her hands.

"As much as he's hated…" Tamama started.

"…He certainly has a lot of friends…" Keroro finished plainly as Kururu opened the door, and shut it behind the two women.

"Kuku!" Kururu overheard this, and only answered with a chuckle.

Giroro looked up at Dororo with a cold glare, and Dororo jumped at the sight of this look, "I-It's all for the best, Giroro-dono… Kirere-chan is responsible, things will go just fine! Plus she's promised now to stop by with him!"

"The chain wasn't necessary," Giroro looked to his foot, where indeed there was a tether, and Dororo gave an uncomfortable chuckle.

"You've proven yourself untrustworthy otherwise," Dororo answered apologetically.

"Well, what do you think?" Aki and Mois walked out, and Kirere stepped out from behind their legs, and looked out at her father shyly.

"K-Kirere… You… You look great…" answered the stunned corporal.

"Kuku! Of course. You don't think I have ugly children, do you? Kuuuukukuku!" Kururu appeared from behind Aki's legs and grinned widely. Giroro gave a small growl at Kururu ruining this moment, and a look daring him to say anything else.

"You're okay with this?" Kirere walked over to Giroro, and looked at him, hopeful for his approval.

He paused for a moment, and sighed, "Yes. Just… Take this at least…." he asked, revealing a large bowie knife. Dororo gave small groan at this; his friend never changed.

"Eh? Is he here?" Kirere asked excitedly as Tamama walked out into the backyard, looking confused.

"No, just Suzuyama-san with another Pekoponian," Tamama answered, puzzled. Kirere immediately lit up, and rushed into the house.

"That's him!" she called out.

"…It's good Kirere is—Wait. WHAT?!" Giroro snapped his head up as it finally clicked with him. At this time Kirere walked back out, with Hiroshi beside her.

The faces ranged were a sea of shock… Save for Kururu, who started laughing so hard he began to hold on to his sides.

"This… Is my dad, and that's my papa…" Kirere looked worried to both of her parents. Kururu was leaning on the side of the house still laughing, and Giroro had gone stark white. "Bye!" she kissed Giroro on the cheek, and walked over to Kururu, looked at him worried, and backed away, then rushed over to Hiroshi.

"…Kirere-chan does take after Giroro Goucho a bit, it would seem…" Keroro said tiredly as Kirere walked out with the boy.

"Well that's just precious," Haruki smiled happily to himself as he watched the two fly off. Rokiki stuck his head out from the backpack Haruki wore and gave a grumble.

"You can drop me off when you're done mooning over this moment," Rokiki snapped.

"You're off early tonight," Haruki said as he started up the bike and continued his drive, now towards Rokiki's house. "Do you have a date, too?"

"Just drive, Suzuyama," Rokiki demanded.

"Boy, I'm behind," Haruki sighed sadly. He dropped off Rokiki in front of his home, and the Keronian wriggled out of the backpack, taking along with him a paper bag. He'd gone out shopping during his break that day, and had been silent on where he'd gone off to.

Mora was cleaning in her room when she heard a knock on the door. She floated over to the bedroom door, expecting Chandi. She was floored as she saw it was instead Rokiki… A very different-looking Rokiki.

"A chef at a restaurant owes me a meal for a drinking game I won last month," he answered uncomfortably, knowing Mora was taking in this as quickly as she possibly could. "…It's one of those fancy ones that think you're Space Yakuza if you have too many tattoos…" he answered, attempting to explain why the tattoos he normally wore were gone.

"Is… Are you wearing makeup?" Mora asked quietly, and Rokiki grew angry at this question, but only briefly, relaxing and taking a deep breath.

"It's just to cover them while we're out."

"We?"

"It's a nice restaurant… It'd be a shame to waste a free ride there on myself…" Rokiki answered, looking increasingly cagey. "Do you want to go or not?"

"I… I'll grab my purse…" she blinked. "C-Chandi! Rokiki-kun and I are… Going out for a bit. We'll be home soon!"

Chandi heard this from her bedroom, but said nothing. Only gave a small smirk and continued flipping through the television channels as she laid in her room.

"It's sold out?" Kirere frowned as they walked up to the theater, and Hiroshi sighed, and scratched the back of his head.

"I knew I should've bought the tickets in advance…" he grumbled. "It's okay, um… We'll get something to eat, instead! I know a place that has these hot noodles, you have to have a stomach of steel to eat them!"

A little while later, Kirere was on bowl three as Hiroshi still ate his sandwich, and watched her with awe, "…Where the heck do you put it all?"

"Eh? I.. I'm sorry, I…"

"Nah, it's fine! Noodles are cheap anyway!" said cheerfully. He sat cross-legged on a bench outside of the ramen stand, and only now noticed people passing by without so much as a glance to the little girl, who had turned on her invisibility shield. "So what do you want to do after this?"  
Kirere thought for a moment, and then smiled as she caught sight of the large tower in the distance.

"Woah! I've never been up this high! I didn't think anyone could get all the way up here!" Hiroshi gasped as he clung on to one of the beams of Nishizawa tower, then looked down at the bright lights beneath them. Kirere sat there smiling at his awe over the scenery in front of them, and he laughed and joined her. "Everything looks so small! Will it still look like this after you guys invade?"

"It'll be even brighter!" Kirere answered confidently.

"Wow… It looks like stars already from down here!" he chuckled. "…I'm gonna miss it… I'm glad I got to see it like this, at least once…"

"Huh?" Kirere shot her head over to him, and her smile fell. "Hiroshi, what're you talking about?"

"We're going to move to America…"

"W-What? When?!" she yelped, her eyes wide. "You can't!"

"Soon... Really soon... Tomorrow. Mom says we have to…" Hiroshi answered. "I… I knew about two weeks ago, I just didn't want to say anything because I was having such a good time hanging out with you."

"Tomorrow?! You… You can stay with us, if you want! There's lots of room in my Papa's lab, we'll make you a room!"

"It's okay… Someone has to look after my mom, she can't do it on her own," Hiroshi answered. "I'm all she's got."

"Oh… I… I guess that's how it is with me and my parents, too…" Kirere's voice fell, and she looked away, now near tears.

"Huh? Hey, it's not like I'm dying! What's wrong?" Hiroshi asked worriedly as he saw Kirere averting her eyes from him to hide the fact she was close to crying.

"I… I really like you!" she shouted out in a tone much louder than it'd sounded in her head. Her face went bright red, and she slapped both of her hands over her mouth as soon as she'd said this.

Hiroshi flushed with surprise, and then chuckled a bit, "I… I like you a lot, too."

"W-What? Really?!"

"Yeah… I just thought I'd sound stupid if I said something… You're really nice, even if you can be a jerk…" he added with a grin. "I know if I get a girlfriend over in America I'll have a hard time finding someone half as smart! You know... My mom would've really liked you, too!"

"You really think so?"

"Uh-huh. Hey, maybe if I explain it well enough, you'll be able to come and visit us. I hear the music's even worse over there."

"Hey!" she snapped, but this was through laughter. "So… Just friends, right?"

"Yeah. You're okay with that?"

"Mm-hm!" she nodded happily, although as she did so there was still a sadness in her eyes.

"Well, I can honestly say I'll miss the help around here!" Haruki sighed as he looked out at the surprisingly clean garage, then back to Hiroshi and Kirere.

"Hey, what's up with him?" Hiroshi pointed over Haruki's shoulder to Rokiki, who was more focused-looking on his work than usual.

Rokiki jerked his head up and barked to the three, "We're just friends, all right?!"

He then went back to his work, leaving the other garage employees thoroughly confused.

"This is for you. I think I owe it to you after all of the hard work," Haruki presented the stunned Hiroshi with a white envelope, and the boy was silent with surprise by the yen bills in the envelope.

"What… I… I don't get it…."

"You worked for it," Haruki smiled and winked. "You really think I'd have you put in that much work for a few parts? It's not my style!"

"This is why we're always broke!" Rokiki snapped.

"You did go on a date last night!" Haruki chuckled. "Eh?... Hey, did one of your tattoos disappear?"

Rokiki glanced over to his arm, and flinched; he'd forgotten to clean off the makeup on his right arm.

"I'm gonna go take him to the airport!" Kirere called out.

"Oh, hey, Suzuyama!" Hiroshi turned back around just as they were about to walk out, and lifted up a brown box, passing it off to Haruki. "My mom says we can't take him to America with us, so he's yours now, okay? Take good care of him!"

"…Eh?" the two were out the door, and Haruki pulled back the flaps on the moving box. Out from the box hopped a small brown Shiba Inu pup, who barked and panted as he looked up at Haruki.

"Well, aren't you cute!" Haruki laughed, taking the puppy in his arms. "Look, we're parents!"

"Get…Get that thing away from me, Suzuyama! I mean it!"

"Come on, he's cute! What should we name him?"

"I mean it!"

The rest of the Keroro Platoon watched from afar in the airport as Hiroshi said goodbye to Kirere. Natsumi, Mois, and Fuyuki stood behind them, Fuyuki looking especially uncomfortable at Mois's crying.

"Could you say not happily ever after?" Mois choked.

"Tch," Kururu snorted, and Giroro nudged him sharply.

"Have some respect!" he snapped, and looked out ahead. It was too loud for him to make out anything that was being said, but Kirere ended up giving a nod, and Hiroshi stood, and began to walk back towards his gate, and his mother.

"Ojiisama!" Mois cried out, and grabbed onto Keroro tightly, now bawling. Keroro's oxygen was quickly being squeezed from his body as Mois held onto him, and Tamama ground his teeth in jealousy at the sight.

"At least it's over now…" Giroro said, a distinct tone of relief in his voice. He then watched as Hiroshi turned back around, as if he'd forgotten something, and bent down, kissing the unsuspecting girl on the cheek. Giroro gave a yelp at this, and even Kururu's expression was difficult to pin. But he did not laugh as Hiroshi did this, then stood and waved Kirere off.

She turned back around, and walked back to the group. She looked over her shoulder, and Hiroshi was with his mother now, heading towards the door that would take them to the plane. He waved to her, and she waved back.

"…Bye…" she said quietly.

"Hey, Kiichi, come on!" she heard Tamama call to her.

"Coming!" she called back, and rushed back over to the group.


	36. Chunini: A Pop Singer's Last Resort! Pt1

Many apologies for the wait X.X School, ya know how it can be... Anyway, please, please enjoy! ^_^

Episode 18:  
Chunini: Desperation! A Wicked Pop Singer's Last Resort!  
Part 1:

It was almost ready, and it was beautiful, Lee thought with a smile while wiping her hands on her apron. Her tie and jacket were tossed aside, and the sleeves to her white dress shirt were rolled up. There was an ideal view of the Seoul cityscape from outside the large bay window in the living room, one that could easily be seen even from the kitchen.

The spread she had made for lunch was impressive. She dumped the noodles carefully into two bowls, and smiled contently at her work.

Not a few moments later, Lee heard a scream, and her head jerked up. She knew that scream. She reached beneath the counter, pulling out two small guns, and jumped over the island, causing the carefully prepared food to fly in all different directions.

"Miss Chu!" she called out, rushing to the back room of the condo. The door was closed, but this was barely a problem; in one swift kick Lee had blown the door from its hinges.

And in the room she found the curtains of the room drawn, darkening the place save for a bit of laplight and the glow of the laptop on the white desk. The room was mainly dedicated to Chunini, with posters and memorabilia everywhere, save for one corner, which was closed off for a recording studio.

"Miss Chu!"Lee shouted once more, and her eyes scanned around the room. And then she found her; Chunini was in her human form, dressed cutely, but her expression dark. She sat beneath the desk, her knees at her chin, and dozens of crumpled papers surrounding her feet.

"M-Miss Chu, what happened?" Lee asked quietly, bending down in front of her.

"It's awful, Lee…" Chunini sniffed, tears in her eyes. "I… I can't write!"

"Is your wrist broken? Your voice? I'll get you a doctor!"

"No! I just… Can't…" Chunini turned her face downward and gave another long moan of frustration. "Do… Do you think I'm out of touch with everyone?"

"They aren't worth it for the most part, Miss Chu," Lee reassured her, and passed her a tissue she had retrieved from her shirt pocket. Chunini took it, wiping her eyes, and looked up at Lee.

"You think with being better than so many of them I'd be able to figure out how they think, but it's so hard!"

"I understand," Lee nodded. "We could always get a few writers, or maybe come out with a Christmas album…" Lee's thoughtful expression turned to one of fear as she saw the cold, silent stare Chunini gave to these suggestions. "T-Then again, perhaps you only need a field trip of sorts…"

"A field trip?" Chunini brightened up a bit. "It's been a while since I've been out…"

"I'll have the jet prepared," Lee stood and nodded.

"No, Lee. Wait a moment," Chunini held out her hand for Lee to stop. "I have an idea… Look through my addresses—Invite some of the people I used to work with, whoever can come… And invite some of those new idiots, too."

"The ones in New York, Miss Chu?"

"No, the ones who let me freeload all of the time."

"Oh, I see…"

"Lee, you're not jealous, are you?" Chunini said with a giggle, and Lee's face reddened.

"O-Of course not. I'll see to it, Miss Chu."

"Wonderful. Offer them something they can't refuse, use your creativity for it, too, Lee. Offer them something free—The poor tend to go for that sort of thing."

"Understood. Anything else, Miss Chu?"

"…The lowlier people tend to like buffets, right?"

"I've been told so."

"Make sure you let them know there will be one of those, too, then," Chunini added. Lee nodded, and was gone.

"Eh? What's this?" Natsumi muttered as she looked at the envelope, and turned it over. Her eyes went wide as she opened it, and she gave a loud scream—One loud enough to catch Keroro off guard. The green Keronian had been mopping, and fell into the bucket of water he'd been using to mop with.

"What… What just happened?" Keroro had started to rise once more when again he was brought down to the ground—This time by Natsumi, who ran him over to get to Fuyuki.

"Nee-chan? What's wrong?" Fuyuki looked up from his video game, and Natsumi stood there shaking, the letter in her hand.

"I… I won! I can't believe I won! A random drawing, to see one of 623's radio shows! I must have entered a hundred of these!" Natsumi squealed. "Look!"

"Eh?" Fuyuki took the paper, and read it over. "This… This is the same weekend of the field trip!"

"Huh?"

"Our club was given a grant to go on a field trip to investigate some paranormal activity… I didn't think we'd be able to go, but this changes everything!"

"Right! Mama will be able to go with us since it's the same weekend!" Natsumi concluded happily.

"Mail call!" Kirere ran up, slipping on the water that had spilt. She went flying up into the air, and landed in the said bucket of water, her first. Keroro watched this, stunned, and Kirere sat up, the bucket still atop her head.

"…I think it got a little wet…" she mumbled holding out a letter. She slipped off the bucket as Keroro opened the soggy letter, and stumbled off to her next destination, her head still spinning.

"Gero?" Keroro opened the dripping letter, and read it over, his face immediately breaking into a wide grin as he read it over and over again. "Gero gero ge…~"

"Gunso?" Fuyuki turned around at the sound of laughter, and Keroro was quick to hide the letter behind his back. "Is it good news?"

"Ehhh, yes! My subscription to a Gunpla collectors' magazine was extended," Keroro nodded, and then scurried away from the group. Along the way toward his secret base, he bumped into a familiar figure—Both he and Giroro dropped their letters, Giroro picking it up quickly and Keroro doing the same.

"…I have some training to do this weekend, I'll be away," Giroro said simply to Keroro, although from this tone there was something off about the statement.

"Ah, understood! Not letting skills such as yours go to waster is vital! Take your time, Giroro Goucho!" Keroro waved his hand, and waited until Giroro had gone to skip to his room and read the letter again, this time in private.

"A Gunpla Collectors' fair! With Giroro Goucho busy this weekend, one can't help but think it's fate!" Keroro chuckled happily to himself.

At this same time, Giroro stood outside of his tent, a flier in his hands, and the Keronian himself positioned so only he would be able to read its contents, "A poetry seminar… My poetry's good enough already, but… This couldn't hurt, could it? N-No, of course not!"

"Neh?" Kururu looked up from his work desk, and was face-to-face with a flier. A scrap swap meet. He tisked at this, and went back to work, disregarding the piece of paper. Kirere watched intently from a spot hidden behind some of the lab's heavy machinery.

Kururu tossed aside his screwdriver, stretched, and shuffled over to the table where he had lunch set up. There were more fliers—Taped to the rice spoon, the bowls, even the rice cooker. He looked to his left and saw fliers littering the numerous computer screens.

"Kuku! Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Dad has training this weekend, and you're the only other person who can take me!" Kirere answered, ducking out of her hiding spot.

"Why not take that Pekoponian you're so fond of?" Kururu asked as he took a seat in his chair, plate of warm curry in one hand.

"Rokiki-san said he's grounded," Kirere answered, her voice falling. "He messed up a bunch of orders…"

"Not my problem, kuku!"

"Maybe just for a day?" Kirere rushed over to him. "Everyone else is getting to go off this weekend!"

"Everyone else? Kuku, that's interesting…" Kururu thought for a few moments, and Kirere looked up at him, hopeful. "All right."

"All right!" Kirere clenched her fists happily, and ran off to pack.

"Everyone… Kuku, I wonder what's up, and who's responsible for it…" Kururu muttered to himself, and reached for his remote. He frowned as he saw it, too, bared a flier to it—And the flier had become taped to his hand. He tried to shake this tape, but was unsuccessful, only giving way to a sigh of defeat and instead focusing on his curry. There was a plate on the spoon, he only realized now, and the tape had also become stuck to his hand.

"Kuku. This could be a problem…"

"De-dah, de-dah, de-dah-dahhhh…" Keroro sang to himself as he wheeled his suitcase down the concrete of the large hotel. He'd worn his Pekoponian suit for the occasion, and smiled brightly at the cheery sunlight that enveloped the beach resort.

At this same time, other cars were starting to arrive. One held both of the Hinata children, looking shaken by the car ride they'd been forced to sit through. Along with them were Mois, Koyuki, Momoka, and Chandi. Koyuki seemed to be the only one unfazed by the car ride in the dented van, while Fuyuki fell to the ground, pale and shaking, and Natsumi leaned on a pole—Not wanting to leave the stable object. Mois looked on in silent trauma, and Chandi was angered with embarrassment.

"You call that driving, you moron!?" Momoka barked to the driver, another suit-wearing Keronian.

"I just started learning to drive manual, give me a break!" Rokiki snapped.

"I… I'm so sorry…" Chandi sighed and bowed, her head hung. "…Since your mom was busy, he was honestly the only adult available…"

"F-Fuyuki, are you okay…?" Natsumi wandered over to her brother, patting him on the shoulder.

"T-The ground… I missed it so much…." Fuyuki said shakily.

"Eh?" Natsumi lifted her head as she heard a familiar voice. "…Is that?..."

"Hrm?" Koyuki sniffed the air, "That smells like…"

"Koyuki-chan? What is it?"

"A lot of familiar smells," Koyuki turned to Natsumi. "…Bleach… Gun Powder… Fresh-baked cookies… Watermelons… The forest… Motor oil… And… And… Curry!"

"Curry?" Natsumi and Fuyuki repeated. Natsumi grabbed Fuyuki, and rushed him into the hotel lobby.

They both stopped, having already walked into a meeting of a group of stunned Keronians, all in Pekoponian suits. This included Romama, who looked away sourly. Kururu laughed as they stood in a circle, all holding their respective sheets of paper.

"I got told there was a cake baking competition here! Who the hell is responsible for this?!" Tamama seethed.

"I… I was suckered into sitting through a timeshare seminar…" Dororo admitted, a bit embarrassed. "They were giving away trips as a prize…"

"It looks like we were all tricked into coming here…" Giroro muttered, and turned his head, falling back a bit as he saw Natsumi and Fuyuki standing there.

"N-Natsumi!?" he squeaked.

"It looks like Natchii and Fuuki were tricked, too," Tamama added.

"Stupid Frog?! What're you doing here?!" Natsumi stormed over to them, and gripped onto Keroro by the sides of the helmet. "What are you up to?!"

"N-Nothing, I promise, I promise!" Keroro flailed his hands wildly.

"Someone tricked us into this," Romama grit his teeth, and clenched his fists.

"How did they get you here, anyway, Romama-san?" Kirere asked.

"I… I was told there was a fundraiser to help sick animals," Romama answered, flushing lightly.

"Ojiisama's ever-noble," Keroro mumbled, Natsumi still holding onto the sides of his hat. She let go of these, and sighed with disgust and rage.

"This hotel looks pretty quiet aside from us…" Tamama noticed, looking around. All turned their heads at the sound of a throat clearing, and there stood a butler, standing beside an open wooden door.

"If you would this way, please. The staff will see to your bags," he explained, and they followed in, the group a mixture of confused and angered. The rest of the group from outside joined by this time, and they were surprised to see the large dining room empty aside

"Hi!" Rokiki snapped his head over at the familiar voice, and groaned; they weren't alone, afterall. Mora sat at one of the tables, already drinking a large brightly colored. "I… Don't think this is a dating seminar…."

"I hope not," Rokiki rolled his eyes and grumbled.

"Lee-san!" Fuyuki gasped as Lee walked out from the kitchen, still barking orders. As soon as she felt eyes upon her, she turned to them, straightened out her suit, and cleared her throat.

"…That means… Oh, no…" Natsumi groaned.

"Could you say brought by false pretenses by a great deceiver?" Mois chimed in with a nervous chuckle.

"It's good you all could make it," Lee nodded, stepping toward them and passing out sheets of paper. "Everything you need to know about the resort. Please, help yourselves to the buffet, Miss Chu will be out shortly. We've bought out the hotel for the weekend, so there will be no other visitors aside from the staff, who are under strict orders to keep the upmost secrecy of your existence, or face punishment from myself."

No one approached the buffet until the waiters began to remove the lids.

"Kiichi! Lookit all of the cakes!" Tamama gasped, his eyes wide.

"Curry… Szechuan chicken… Sushi with real wasabi! They have everything! Come on!"

"Yeah!" Tamama giggled, and both rushed to the buffet.

"Children…" Rokiki snorted.

"I'm… Going to test out of the salad bar, for the sake of everyone's safety…" Romama cleared his throat, and slowly made his way over to the vegetarian portion of the buffet.

"Tell me you have a bar," Rokiki mumbled.

"This is a dry hotel," Lee replied.

"I'll be in the car," he answered, and turned around, only to have Mora grab him by the back of the Pekoponian suit.

The Pekoponian suits laid in storage in a corner while the Keronians and Pekoponians both sat to eat in the dining hall, plates stacked high with food.

"So no one else has shown yet?" Chunini asked Lee as they both walked out into the dining hall.

"I was unable to attain an yes or no from Lupapa Goucho. Mahihi Chui gave it a maybe, and Fujuju Soucho is on his way, but was delayed due to weather," Lee answered.

"What about Kodada?" Chunini asked, and both she and Lee stopped.

"I wasn't able to track her down, either, Miss Chu," Lee reassured her, and Chunini smiled and nodded with relief.

"I'd hate to think she'd turn down an invitation from her only sister!" Chunini chuckled. A worried expression washed over Lee's face for a moment, but this was gone as Chunini took a seat at a table with Fuyuki, Keroro, Tamama, and Momoka. Lee pushed in Chunini's seat and stood behind her chair.

"How's everyone liking the food? A lot of these are Lee's recipes, you know!"

"Lee-san, you cook?" Fuyuki looked up at her, and Lee nodded.

"It's just a hobby," Lee reassured them.

"You don't seem like the type to have hobbies, really…" Keroro admitted. "Still, this is really good, Lee-dono!"

"Well, there's more where that came from!" Chunini said happily as she hopped away from them. "Just have a good time, all right!? Tee-hee!" she followed this up with a giggle and a wink, and was now at the table where Kururu, Kirere, Mois, and Romama sat.

"…I always get this cold feeling when she does that…" Keroro admitted.

"Are we sure this isn't poison?" Tamama asked gravely, poking at his food.

"Kururu Soucho said it wasn't, so… Who can be for certain?" Keroro admitted, staring down at his own plate, then up at the laughing scientist.

"I can't believe you actually fell for such an idiotic scheme…" Rokiki grumbled. He and Mora sat at their own table, and Mora looked apologetic, her hands clasped together.

"Eh?" Rokiki nearly fell out of his seat as he turned and saw that Chunini had snuck up on them, and was scribbling away on a notepad. "W-What the hell are you doing over here?!"

"Oh, don't mind me! I just thought you two looked really cute together is all!" Chunini explained, and hopped off once more, to another table.

"Cute. Heh. What would that thing know about cute?" Rokiki grumbled, taking a sip of his drink and staring disdainfully at the punch. "It's just not the same!"

Lee wandered into the hotel room, and saw Chunini asleep at her desk, notes from her booklet spread all about her. Lee frowned as she came closer, and saw the pieces of paper filled with crossed out lists, as well as various little doodles, all rude and directed at her visitors.

"Miss Chu…." Lee sighed, lifting up one of the note pages and sighing.

Chunini yawned and stretched, and looked up at Lee tiredly, "Ni? Oh, Lee! I… I must have fallen asleep!"

"No ideas yet, Miss Chu?"

"I… I'll think of something, have faith in me, Lee!" Chunini replied, hopping up in her chair and forcing a smile. "What are they doing now?"

"They're in a lobby… Telling ghost stories, I believe," Lee answered.

"Ghost stories? That sounds amusing," Chunini sighed with boredom, and slid out of her chair, taking her notepad with her.

"Do you still think they'll have something to offer you, Miss Chu?"

"They will, Lee. I haven't been wrong about this yet. I was taught by not only the best singer there ever was, but the best songwriter. And she told me when in doubt, go to your audience for inspiration."

Chunini left the room, and Lee was standing there by herself. After a few moments and making sure she was alone, Lee relaxed a bit and pulled out her PDA. Scanning through it, she checked through the list of people Chunini had invited… Everyone was checked off as coming, save for one.  
Kodada.

Lee frowned, gave a small sigh, and placed the PDA back into her pocket, and walked the same path Chunini just had.

"And then, the… Um… The haunted lantern… No, it must've been a pair of sandals…" Natsumi thought to herself, the flashlight still beneath her chin serving as some of the only light in the darkened room.

"…This many summers, and she's still no good at it…" Keroro sighed.

"Eh? Chunini-dono?" Dororo said with surprise as Chunini took a seat cross legged-with the others. "What are you doing here?"

"Just enjoying the show!" Chunini answered, taking a few more notes on her notepad and smiling.

"Here, Fuyuki, you try!" Natsumi sighed, passing the flashlight off to her brother.

"Kuku, she didn't even finish her story…" Kururu turned to Giroro, who had been sitting next to him, and saw the corporal cowered behind one of the cushions that had been on a lobby couch.

"S-Shut up!" Giroro snapped back shakily.

"All right…" Fuyuki cleared his throat, and bowed his head a few moments to prep, raising it again, now with a shadowed look on his face. "It was a dark night… The only sound was a clap of thunder, the only light a flash of lightening…"

All eyes went to the room's large windows at the sound of thunder, followed by a white flash of lightening. Giroro gave a scream.

"…He's gotten even better at this…" Keroro said with awe.

"In a room, just like this one…" Fuyuki spoke quietly, extending one hand. "There was said to be a ghost of a woman, with show-white skin, and glowing red eyes…"

Kirere slid a bit closer to Mois, who in turn held on to the young girl.  
There was another flash of lightening, and all screamed now, save for Fuyuki.

"Huh? I didn't even say anything…" he muttered, and looked to where Natsumi shakily pointed. Another flash of light, and there she was. The snow white woman with the red eyes.

"…What?" she asked plainly. All gave another scream, and began to rush for the doors.


	37. Chunini: A Pop Singer's Last Resort! Pt2

Episode 18  
Chunini: Desperation! A Wicked Pop Singer's Last Resort!  
Part 2

Many apologies for the wait ^_^''' Ya know how life can be… Just writing to get the mind off of things now. I may have to deal with something that'll more than likely put my writing on a back-burner for a while-Hopefully not, though. I hope my saying that doesn't worry anyone, it isn't anything too major, and if my writing will be interrupted by it, I'll be sure to let you know.

Now, please, enjoy and forgive my tardiness.

There was a flicker of lights, and the group turned around, coming face-to-face with the other confused group that had formed. Mahihi stood further back at the light switch, in his Keronian form, and dressed in his usual Hawaiian shirt and attire.

Also there stood Lupapa, a leather backpack on her back, and beside her Fujuju and Botan; both had dressed in beach attire, Botan with her hair tied back and wearing a brightly-colored beach cover and sandals, and with a parasol folded at her side. Fujuju had a pile of books in his hands, and wore a small pair of sunglasses, a Hawaiian print shirt, and straw hat. There was zinc oxide in the middle of his face.

"I…. Take it there isn't a book swap, as I was told…." he said quietly as he looked out at the stunned group.

"Daisy's going to kill me; I told her it was a paying competition…" Mahihi sighed as he took another sip of his punch and looked gloomily out at the nighttime scenery.

"It can't be all that bad for you. There's a free buffet, and you look like you love to eat nowadays," Rokiki sat with a few chicken wings on a plate, and Mahihi looked over to him, slightly annoyed.

"Don't worry, there's more," Rokiki reassured him as he gauged Mahihi's dirty glare.

"S-So Time Bender-dono lives with Fujuju-dono now, is that right?" Keroro looked uneasily to Botan, and she sat there staring, stone-faced.

"It's only a temporary arrangement," Fujuju reassured them, holding up his hands and flushing a bit.

"Tama?" Tamama looked at Fujuju's expression, then to Botan. "Fujuju-san, are you-"

"I'll get us all punch!" Fujuju slid out of his seat and smiled anxiously, then fled from the table.

"He seems suspicious," Tamama said flatly, with a smirk on his face.

"I didn't expect you here, Lupa-chan!" Chunini chirped as she skipped over to Lupapa, who sat beside Dororo and Koyuki. Lupapa said nothing, but the cup she held in her hand shook, eventually crushing her hand. It was at this moment Lupapa lunged for Chunini, grabbing her by the neck.

"I got told you died, that's the only reason I came!" Lupapa snapped, gripping onto Chunini's neck and pinning her down to the ground.

"Lu-Lupapa-dono!" Dororo rose to restrain Lupapa, but Lupapa let go of her grasp on her own, growling and stepping back from Chunini.

"Aw, Lupa-chan does care!"

"No, I just wanted to be certain of it!"

"Ah, always the "it doesn't exist if I can't see it", eh, Lupa-chan? You know that can get annoying!" Chunini hopped up and smiled, and skipped away from the group. "I'm going to go catch up on my beauty rest, na-cha~!"

"I always thought that was a greeting…." Keroro said as Chunini hopped past them, his blood chilling at the sight of her cheerfulness.

"…If she does that again I swear I'll finish the job myself," Lupapa grumbled darkly as she took up her seat again, glaring at Chunini.

Lee looked down at her PDA and sighed; she'd gotten an answer, but it wasn't what she had hoped for.

She snapped her head as she heard the glass doors slide, and looked down, "Oh? Miss Chu? This is some good news that all of your friends showed, isn't it? And how's your inspiration? Are you-"

"Lee… Has my sister answered yet?"

"Hrm? N-No, she hasn't," Lee answered shakily. Chunini looked at Lee critically for a few moments, then looked out at the balcony, holding onto the bars around it as she looked out onto the beach. "The weather's bad where she is right now, I'm sure the mail's just been delayed by it. There's a lot of cloud cover in Germany, I saw, and-"

"You don't need to lie to make me feel better, Lee," Chunini said with a sigh. "I appreciate it, but I get it. My sister's found a good home, and a good family. I'm not good for anyone, really, and I know it."

"Miss Chu…"

"I'm going to go lay down; I can only take so much of so many idiots in a day," Chunini turned away from Lee, giving her a small smile before walking back into the hotel room. "Don't worry about me, Lee."

Chunini shut the door once more, and Lee looked out onto the beach, now alone.

"And I think it's just so great he's met someone!" Mora sipped her drink and smiled as she sat out on the beach, watching the rest of the group from beneath a large umbrella.

"What?" Rokiki snapped his head over toward Mora, and away from where his attention had been placed; Kirere was attempting to build a sand castle, and Dororo and Lupapa had started to help her with it.

"Them," Mora nodded over towards the shore, where Fujuju walked beside Botan. She stopped and crouched down, examining a large shell that had washed ashore. Fujuju went ahead a few steps, smiling a bit and picking it up to show her; this gentleman gesture and expression were quickly replaced with confusion and fear as the crab that made the shell emerged, snapping its claws at Fujuju. He gave a yell and fell back into the water, disappearing under the crash of the waves.

"They're pathetic," Rokiki huffed, taking a sip of his punch, looking at the box it was in sourly, and tossing it out onto the beach.

"You should let me set you up with someone, Rokiki-kun!" Mora said with a smile.

"We're not talking about that again," he snapped.

"Here!" she presented him a red folder, and he frowned, taking it and opening it. "She's perfect for you! Really into tradition, just like Rokiki-kun is! And she's a Keronian!"

"…You're not going to stop until I say yes, are you?" he inquired, and looked above the folder to her pleading eyes. "…Fine! Just one date!"

"You're going to love her, I know it!" Mora embraced him and laughed, but quickly drew away after a moment after gauging Rokiki's stunned expression. "I… I'll go call her!"

She rushed off, leaving Rokiki by himself on the blanket. He scowled a bit and looked out at the waves; there were three boards out there-One belonging to a professional surfer, one to a beginner, and one to a scientist enjoying the bobs of the waves while clicking away on a laptop.

"Hey, you're getting good at this, Aka Baka!" Mahihi laughed as he swam towards his board and climbed onto it. Giroro was already seated on his, looking ahead. Mahihi glanced over his shoulder and laughed at the sight of Natsumi sitting cross-legged on the beach. "I get it, you want to impress her!"

"What? I… No! Wh-What I mean is, I-"

"Come on, on the board, there's a big wave coming up," Mahihi winked, and Giroro stood, confused and watching Mahihi as the Keronian paddled towards the large waves.

Kururu caught sight of one of these waves, and chuckled, lifting up an umbrella from the side of his board and unfurling it to prevent getting totally soaked by the oncoming waves.

Giroro paddled towards the waves, following Mahihi, and stood just as Mahihi did. He grew curious, though, as Mahihi fell behind him on the wave, and then lurched forward a bit as he felt Mahihi's surfboard hit his own, to give him a push. Instead, this sent Giroro flying off of his board and into the waves.

"….Ah, man…" Mahihi sighed and slapped his forehead as all that resurfaced was Giroro's belt.

"Neh?" Giroro's eyes fluttered open, and he yelped with surprise as he was attacked with one of Kirere's hugs.

"You're alive!" she gasped happily.

"What happened?" he rubbed his head and sat up, still coughing up a bit of seawater.

"Sorry, my bad…" Mahihi scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat. "I thought I'd send you further into the wave, and… You just… Flew…"

"Yeah, it was really high," Kirere said with a giggle, then stopped at the sight of Giroro's confused look.

"Why do I taste cherry?" Giroro asked with a frown.

"Well… You had to get mouth-to-mouth… I mean, you were down there a while and all…" Mahihi replied anxiously.

"I never wanted to be that close with you," Giroro muttered.

"Good thing it wasn't me, then, huh?"

"What?" then Giroro heard it; the laughter from behind him.

"Kuuuukukuku! Don't judge me, I was out of the vanilla-flavored," Kururu chuckled, turning and holding up a tube of chapstick.

Giroro went pale, and started to fidget to stand up, his destination Kururu, "I… I'm going to kill you, you bastard…"

"Wait! No, don't!" Kirere yelped, gripping onto Giroro as he attempted to walk over to Kururu, fists clenched.

All while this happened, Chunini sat at a café table, watching the group play. She snorted as she watched Natsumi attempting to teach Fuyuki to swim; she pulled him toward the water with such force that he finally fell, and started to flail in the water-He paused as soon as he realized the water was less than a few centimeters deep. He then sat up in the water, embarrassed. Momoka looked on at Fuyuki with admiration in her eyes; Chandi sat reading about crop circles and shook her head at this entire ordeal, going back to her reading.

"Oh, Chunini-dono!" Keroro stopped his walk to address Chunini, who nearly jumped at hearing her name called. The Keronian looked ready for the beach, a pink innertube about his waist, and Mois and Tamama standing behind him. "Working on a lovely day like this?"

"Eh?! N-No, not at all… I… I was just answering some fanmail! You'd know how it piles up if you got any…"

"How biting…" Keroro sighed.

"Gunso-san! Come see the sandcastle I made!" Tamama chirped, running away from the tense situation to the shore.

"Wait for me!" Mois called out, running after Tamama.

"I didn't invite you!" Keroro could hear Tamama call out. He didn't turn to these noises, however, but kept looking at Chunini.

"…Did you want something?" Chunini asked, looking above her paper to Keroro.

"Gero? No, nothing," Keroro answered, and then ran after the others, who were already at the sandcastle. Chunini only sighed with disgust and tossed aside her notebook, then hopped off of her seat.

Along the way she bumped into Giroro, who was going the opposite way, toward the hotel, all while holding his head back and gargling while Kirere dutifully carried along a bottle of mouthwash. Giroro stopped, spat out the mouthwash into the nearby grass, and motioned for Kirere to hand him the bottle.

"I think you're overacting a little bit…"

"I'm not stopping until that bottle is empty," Giroro answered, taking another swig from it and resealing the bottle.

"Did you have to beat him up like that?" Kirere asked as she took back the bottle.

Giroro gargled a bit more, and spat this mouthwash out, then wiped his mouth, "If you don't it'll just show him he can get away with anything. It's for his own good."

Giroro looked out and both could see his surfboard in the distance, sticking out of the water. Kururu was tied to it by a volleyball net.

"…I think tide's coming in…." Kirere said worriedly, and Giroro patted her on the shoulder.

"Let's get you out of the sun; you've been in it too long. You'll start to get sick."

He then led her back into the hotel, taking her to her room and then walked into his own, shutting the door behind him.

"…Just because this isn't a poetry seminar doesn't mean I can't get some work done…" he muttered, climbing onto a desk chair and opening a notebook he'd taken with him; inside the book were scrawling of half-finished poems. He took a seat atop the desk cross-legged, and began to write. "…Natsumi, if you only knew this side of me…"

Giroro glanced out the window and looked out at the ocean; Natsumi was there, still playing in the water with Koyuki, splashing and laughing. He blushed a bit and smiled contently. He noticed a storm coming in, making tide higher. His smile grew, and he started to work on his poetry.

He then heard a faint voice; he frowned, and looked out. Keroro was shouting up to him, but Giroro's room was too high up for him to make out all of the words. He motioned a few times to Keroro that he couldn't hear before finally sighing in defeat and opening the window. When he did, a few of the pages of his notebook flew out with a gust of wind. He grasped for them in panic, but to no avail; they were gone with the breeze.

"Giroro!" Keroro called out again, not noticing the tears in the Corporal's eyes.

"WHAT?! What is it you want!?" Giroro demanded in a bark.

"I told Ojiisama you could hear me from up there, but he didn't believe me! It's okay, you can go back to what you were going to now!" Keroro chirped out, pointing to Romama, who stood beside Keroro's side, looking on at the exchange quietly.

"WHAT?!" Giroro stood up in the windowsill, "You bastard, I-"

The red Keronian faltered in the windowsill a bit, and then slipped. When he landed, it was headfirst; directly onto Romama. Keroro poked at the two with his foot.

"…O-Ojiisama? Giroro Goucho?" he asked quietly, then gave a shrill scream as Romama's hand reached out, grabbing onto his foot.

Chunini could hear the scream from the distance behind her, but paid it no heed. She also ignored the brewing storm around her, instead kicking at a bit of sand and frowning.

"If I don't come out with a new song, I don't come out with a new album… If I don't make a new album, I don't get my sales… Then the popularity with the fans wanes, and I'm forgotten. That or I start going on game shows," she added bitterly, and continued walking, picking up the pace as she did so. "And if that's the case, then I won't need a manager anymore."

Chunini stopped, and looked out onto the ocean; the storm was worse now, much worse. It started to rain, coming down as a straight heavy sheet instead of a gradual thickening, and she took cover beneath a bench. She sneezed, and brought her knees up to her chin.

She looked up, and through the rain could see a Pekoponian figure walking in the rain, shadowed and covered with an umbrella.

Things went black for Chunini after this.

When she woke up she was bundled in what she first thought to be a blanket, but upon further analysis she realized was Lee's black jacket. And her manager stood in the hotel room, soaked from the rain, and beside her stood Kodada, her umbrella now folded at her side and in her Pekoponian form.

"What?" Chunini began to sit up, but fell back onto the bed, too weak to sit up.

"I didn't realize you'd been missing your meals, Miss Chu, it was an incredible oversight of mine," Lee gave an apologetic, deep bow. "You'll have my resignation in the morning!"

"Eh? Lee, don't be stupid," Chunini said with a sniff, her nose stuffed up; the walk in the rain had given her the beginnings of a slight pneumonia. "I was an idiot not to take care of myself… I got so wrapped up I guess the stress got to me."

"Nee-chan's always been like this," Kodada said with an understanding grin to Lee. "One time Mama wouldn't let her get a doll, Nee-chan held her breath until she passed out in the store!"

"I did get the doll, though," Chunini said with a thoughtful smile. "Koda-chan, I thought you wouldn't show."

"It's hard making up excuses to get away so far, I didn't think I would be able to! Then last minute a group of friends decided to go on a road trip. My family thinks I'm with them," Kodada winked and giggled. "I wouldn't miss seeing my Nee-chan if I couldn't help it! Lee-san said you were having trouble with your writing again, Nee-chan."

"It's just a roadblock…" Chunini sniffed, then sneezed again. She nodded a thanks as Lee passed her a tissue.

"Well… I know it sounds weird, but this fell onto my umbrella when the rain started. Here! You can still make out the words!" Kodada held out a folded sheet of paper, and Chunini took it in hand. "I know you don't like using other writers, but this is fate! It has to be!"

"Hrm… It's a little strange, but I guess any song can be a good one with the right touches… That includes this one," Chunini said with a smile, sitting up in her bed a bit. "I'll have to thank Mr. Ghost-Writer…"

"Miss Chu," Lee cleared her throat to make her presence known, and Chunini shot her head up. "I know you're not feeling the best, but the peons have decided to have more ghost-story telling…"

"That sounds great!" Kodada lit up, "It's been such a while since I've seen everyone! Can we both go, Nee-chan?!"

"…All right, all right. Just let me put my makeup on, first," Chunini waved, sliding out of the bed. "I'll be right down."

Kodada hurried out of the bedroom, laughing to herself, while further down the same hall Kururu and Keroro walked in, Keroro leaning onto Kururu for support; both looked soaked and were covered with seaweed.

"…Tied to a surfboard in high tide… Giroro Goucho is a harsh man to be deal with…" Keroro choked, peeling off a starfish that had attached itself to his hat and carrying limply in his free hand.

"Kuku-Ach!" Kururu's trademark laugh was cut short by a sneeze, and both continued down to the hall.

Lee knelt down to help Chunini fix the buns on either side of her helmet, and Chunini sighed and smiled serenely. "You know, I don't think I'll ever know why you put up with me so much, Lee. But I do appreciate it."

This last part made Lee stop for a moment, and she flushed a bit, then went back to work adjusting the ribbons.

"That'll do, Lee," Chunini turned around and smiled brightly, although a sneeze interrupted this. "Ugh… I'll be downstairs, are you coming?"

"In a few moments. I need to change," Lee nodded, standing back up and remaining stationary as Chunini walked out of the room. "…Why I stay…."

The fair was crowded, and Min Jee had lost her way. The tiny girl with a bobbed haircut wiped her eyes, the balloon in her hand floating away from her as she did so. She gave a yell, and jumped, but the blue balloon was out of her grasp. She took cover beside one of the carnival booths and wept.

She darted her head up as she felt something wrap around her wrist, and her brown eyes met with the bright orange ones of the strange creature in front of her, dressed in an orange and blue dress with a star pattern on the front.

"Eh…. You can see me, c-can't you?" the yellow creature's mouth twitched, and Min Jee nodded. "…This is trouble…"

"You found my balloon…" Min Jee said quietly, noting that the creature had tied it to her wrist, preventing it from floating away again.

"Sure, it's easy with these," the small creature pressed down on a charm on her necklace, revealing a pair of pink wings. Min Jee lit up immediately.

"You're a fairy!"

"Hey! I-A fairy? Y-Yes, that's right. I'm a fairy," she nodded back. "….What are you so sad about anyway? It can't be any worse than the few months I've had."

"I lost my mommy," the little girl sniffed, and the fairy's expression suddenly softened.

"…All right, stand up…"

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"Let's go find your Mama…. Do you trust me?" she asked as she saw the little girl hesitating. Min Jee waited a few moments, then took the outstretched hand of the yellow fairy.

"….How come they can't see you, but I can?" asked Min Jee as they walked through the crowd.

"I have no idea," she answered with a shake of the head. "I'm not a scientist, I'm not good at anything, really."

"Really?"

"Well, nothing useful," she answered. "I just like singing."

"I want to be a singer!" Min Jee said excitedly.

"Well… Don't give up on that, all right?" the fairy said with a smile, and turned her head in the way of a frantic shouting.

"That's my mom!" Min Jee cried out happily. "T-Thank you, Miss Fairy!"

"Chunini's all right."

"Thank you, Miss Chu! I… I'll find some way to pay you back someday, I promise!" Min Jee shouted, and raced toward her mother, shouting happily for her. Chunini smiled bittersweetly at the reunion, and walked the opposite direction of them.

"Miss Chu, hehe… Cute kid," she muttered, then chuckled.

Lee snapped out of her daydreaming at the sound of a knocking on the door, "Lee, are you coming?!" Chunini called from the other side of the door.

"Y-Yes, Miss Chu!" Lee answered, lifting up her jacket and hurrying to the door to join Chunini.

"Mail delivery!" Kirere called out as she rushed out to Giroro, dripping wet. He looked up from the weapon he was polishing, then took the damp letters from her, looking at them curiously.

"….I fell into the bucket again," she admitted with an embarrassed giggle. "Mutsumi's show is on! Can I listen to it out here?"

"Well, I-" but she'd already pulled out the radio, and was tuning it to the station. Giroro sighed and quietly went back to his weapons, while Kirere took a seat and listened in intently.

"They're premiering Chunini-san's new song here!"

"I wouldn't do anything to encourage that demon's ego…" Giroro muttered.

"She's not really nice, but she's talented!" Kirere admitted, and leaned forward as the song started up. "Here it is!" she turned up the volume, and smiled as the song started up.

Giroro at first dismissed this, then slowed his weapon polishing as the lyrics became more and more horrifyingly familiar, "S-S-She… She didn't! She couldn't have!"

"…War ships?" Kirere frowned and jerked back at the bizarre lyrics. "…Well, at least the beat's good. Hey, where are you going?"

Giroro tossed aside his weapon and forcefully opened the glass door, then stomped in.

"Oh, Giroro Goucho!" Keroro's voice could be heard from inside the house. "My, the sun might have gotten to you! You're incredibly re-Gero? What-What are you doing?"

"If I hadn't have opened that window… This wouldn't have happened… If you hadn't made me…." what followed next were a series of crashes and yelps, and Kirere slid the glass door shut, and went back to the radio.

"And Chu-chan would like to thank both her manager, Lee-san, and Ghost Writer-san, the author," she heard Mutsumi announce over the radio after the song had ended.

"…Ghost Writer-san's got a little ways to go if they want to be serious…" Kirere muttered. "…Not too bad, though!"


	38. Fuyuki: A Global Effort! Pt1

*leans head against wall* My goal was to work with some characters I normally don't, including one who I wasn't aware even knew of the Keroro Platoon's existence. Needless to say, I was almost finished when I thought I'd dig a little further with my research… And I found that I was wrong. So I had to go back and do a re-write, just when I thought I was finished.

And I have a dentist appointment in an hour, I just found out.

Too cruel.

Episode 19  
Fuyuki: A Global Effort! He Has to be Saved!  
Part 1

"Stupid frog needs to learn to remember when it's his day to do laundry…" Natsumi grumbled as she walked down the hall, basket of laundry in hand. She came to a sudden stop as she heard a rustling from behind her, then shrugged and turned back around. Down from the ceiling came a white flash flying, and Natsumi screamed as she came face-to-face with a skeleton. She fell back, the clean laundry flying in every direction in the process.

"Eh?! Nee-chan, are you all right?!" Fuyuki gasped as he came out from behind the corner.

"F-Fuyuki, what's going on!?"

"S-Sorry, Nee-chan! I went to go pick up a Gunpla Gunso had put on reserve, and they had these on sale. Look," he held out a remote, and with a click of a button, the skeleton rose back up into place on the ceiling.

"I hope you didn't put any holes in the wall doing that," Natsumi said flatly, while Fuyuki only gave a nervous smirk. "I have to refold all of these now… Fuyuki, can you-What now?" she moaned as the doorbell rang.

"The occult club weekend meeting! It's today, I almost forgot!" he hopped right over the laundry and headed quickly for the door, opening it and smiling at the two familiar faces. "Nishizawa-san! Chandi-san! Eh? Tsukigami-san?" he blinked as he saw behind the two girls another familiar girl, this one the shy girl from the news club. She was hunched over a little more, scribbling away on a notepad. "It's really been a while since you've been over!"

"Tsukigami-san is going to be covering our club for the paper!" Chandi replied, pushing the shy girl to the front. "I thought it'd be a big help in getting us some new members!"

"Ehehehe…" Momoka laughed politely, although her inner, darker self growled with rage at her attention with Fuyuki being divided up.

"I… I won't disrupt anything, I'm only here for facts. Please, continue as you normally would, don't let my presence throw you off from your routine," she held up a camera, and it flashed, taking a quick photo of and off-guard Fuyuki, and she continued on, Momoka gripping her fists with jealousy at the other girl's ability to take a photograph with such ease.

Keroro whistled happily as he started a walk through the living room, and stopped at the sight of the occult club, "Ah, it's Fuyuki-dono's Pekoponian friend, the one with the notebooks! Shall the alien comedian do something worthy of praise?" he set down the broom he'd been holding and revealed a banana peel, and gave a hopeful smile. "Audience is always most important!"

This was answered by blank stares, and Natsumi heaved a sigh, and lifted Keroro up by atop the head, and walked away from the group, a deathgrip over Keroro's skull.

"Well…" Fuyuki turned his head, watching this for a moment, then took a seat in the living room. "It looks like this weekend club meeting is in session!"

"Stupid Frog!" Natsumi tossed Keroro down onto her bed and snapped at the green Keronian. "No one wants your stupid pet tricks! Now stop acting so weird for once, if you can manage it!"

"Gero… I'd think it'd be safe to walk around in my own home and entertain guests at my leisure!" Keroro responded, standing and brushing himself off.

"This isn't your home, Mama just lets you stay here!" snapped Natsumi. "Eh? AH!" she fell back as she looked over to the tall shadow that had formed on her bedroom window, although her fear subsided as soon as she saw it was a familiar face. "A-Alisa-chan?" she crawled over to the window, unlocking it and allowing Alisa to step in gracefully.

Keroro looked up from beneath the covers he'd ducked under for protection, still shaking, and uneasily sat up, the covers draped about his shoulders, "A-Alisa-dono, it's you. Today is really full of surprises, isn't it?"

"Where is Fuyuki?" she asked calmly, and now Natsumi saw the two cat-like ears Nevula usually formed atop her head branched out into the form of a set of clawed arms, holding an ornate box.

"He's having a club meeting, but-W-Wait!" Natsumi yelped as Alisa went for the door without another word, and the Hinata girl pounced in front of the door, blocking Alisa from exiting. Alisa said nothing, only narrowed her eyes in a mixture of confusion and a bit of annoyance.

"H-He's got a lot of company right now… I can take a message though," Natsumi answered in a pant. 'Alisa-chan, Momoka-chan, and everyone in the same room together?'

The thought of that happening sent a chill of dread down Natsumi's spine.

"I'll wait," Alisa answered, and crouched down and stepped out of the same window she'd come through. Natsumi looked out, and saw Alisa sitting atop the roof, her knees at her chin, and staring ahead, waiting.

Natsumi rolled her eyes and gave a sigh, and opened her bedroom door, "Fuyuki! Can you come up here?!"

"Wow! Alisa-chan, this is amazing!" Fuyuki held the wooden box in his hands and studied it, flipping it over to study the intricate wood-working on the box. "I wonder how it opens! Where did this come from, anyway?"

"A cave, far away. There were other items. I'll show you," Alisa took him by the hand and began to tug him to the door, Fuyuki tripping along the way.

"W-Wait, Alisa-chan! I just can't go!"

"Why not?" she stopped her tugging and turned back to face him.

"W-Well, we were just in the middle of our occult club meeting," Momoka interjected, stepping in front of them and standing with a pleasant grin while her hands remained folded; while this gesture looked polite, a closer examination showed that Momoka's hands were clenched together, shaking a bit.

"How are you able to travel around so much, and so quickly?" Chiyuro asked, glancing up from her notepad to Alisa.

"I fly," Alisa answered curtly.

"A-Alisa-chan does a lot of traveling!" Natsumi explained nervously, while Fuyuki looked at his nervous sister curiously.

"Why don't you just sit with us until the meeting's over, Alisa-chan? Would you like that?" Fuyuki asked with a bright grin.

Alisa nodded, taking a seat next to Chandi, who had watched this from the sidelines while eating a bowl of popcorn silently.

"Oh?" Nevula opened his eye and looked down at the bowl of popcorn. "May I?"

"Help yourself," Chandi passed him the bowl, and out outstretched two black clawed hands. Chiruyo looked up from her notepad and could swear that for a moment the cat-eared headband the orange-haired girl wore… Moved…

"I'm… Just going to be upstairs. Try not to blow up the house or anything, Fuyuki," Natsumi called out to her brother as she walked up the stairs, clutching her forehead. "Why does it ache all of a sudden?"

"Hrm," Fuyuki set the box down on the coffee table and examined it. "It doesn't look like there's a way to open it, but there's a crack in it, meaning it does open somehow…"

"Do you deal with these sorts of often in the occult club? Is this why there are weekend meetings suddenly?" Chiyuro asked Chandi, to which she absently responded.

"Most times it's just eating snacks and reading at my place on the weekends," Chandi answered, then widened her eyes and held out her hands. "N-Not that we're boring, or that we hold it at my house a lot! Mora really doesn't like it!"

"Mora?"

"She's my mom," Chandi answered.

"Chandi-san's mom is an alien!" Fuyuki exclaimed, and Chiyuro jerked her head back in surprise.

"I'm a normal human, don't worry! If anything, I'm boring!" Chandi chuckled, holding up her hands. The slight look this comment caused Alisa to have caught Chandi's attention, but this left as Momoka cleared her throat.

"F-Fuyuki-kun, would you mind if I tried to open it?" she asked sheepishly, a small blush on her cheeks.

"Oh? Sure thing, Nishizawa-san!"

"I'll try my best!" she set the box facing upwards on the coffee table, and stood, concentrating a moment. She then gave a battle cry of a yell and hit the box directly with her fist. For a few moments, the box did nothing, then slowly creaked open, revealing a plain wooden inside with a small envelope.

"L-Looks like it was activated by pressure," Chandi's mouth twitched, and Alisa watched as Fuyuki took up the envelope and began to open it. "…I never thought being the normal one would make me so weird…"

"Huh?" Fuyuki pulled out the letter, and along with it came a purple powder. He sneezed and then rubbed his eyes, and gave a yawn. "Hey, I know this language! Looks like… It was written in… Eh?..." he slumped over in the couch, and all of the girls stopped what they were doing.

"Kukuku! He's just sleeping," Kururu pulled off the stethoscope from Fuyuki, and stepped back, closing the medical kit he had with him. "Well, hibernating would be a better word, actually."

"F-Fuyuki-kun?" Momoka's eyes were filled with tears as she saw Fuyuki, laid out on the bed and breathing lightly, his own eyes closed. "He… He'll wake up, right?"

"Hard to say, kuku!" Kururu answered, looking up at her. "That box is ancient. I'm not even sure what that letter was written in, but it's nothing that's used today. Kuuuukukuku!"

"Fuyuki…" Alisa stood in the room with Momoka, Chandi, and Chiyuro, and along with her was the rest of the platoon and Natsumi, who sat on the bed, looking down at her younger brother with worry.

"This… This is all my fault…" Momoka sobbed.

"Kururu-san!" Mois burst through, a printout in her hand. "We have a match on the language!"

"Did you make a translation?" Kururu looked up at her, and she gave an affirming nod, passing it to him. "Kuku… Looks like it was a Trojan horse type of weapon that was being experimented with, one that only effects the opener of the letter… The letter is a list of ingredients for an antidote…"

"What are they?" Momoka shouted. "I'll get them! I did this; I'll fix it for Fuyuki-kun!"

Chiyuro said nothing, but leaned in intently, her glasses flashing and her notepad ready to take notes of the remedy.

"You wouldn't have time," Kururu answered, turning away from her. "Once this is in his system, there's only a few hours before it becomes permanent. Now, if it were two people, there'd be a much better chance. Three or more, it'd be even better."

"We'll help, then!" Tamama suggested with a determined smile.

"Kuku, the locations of these things is listed… They're older names, but they're places on Pekopon inhabitable to us. It'd be suicide going," Kururu replied, looking down at the printout once more. "Well, it'd be suicide even if you could survive the weather… Kuuuukuku!"

"Permanent?" Natsumi said beneath her breath, and jumped as her phone went off. "Hello? M-Mama? Y-Yes, everything's… Everything's all right. What? Early? A-All right, I'll get dinner started!"

"The one night she comes home early…" Giroro sighed and bowed his head down.

"Stupid Frog, are you-" Natsumi snapped her head to Keroro, and her expression softened as she saw Keroro standing at Fuyuki's bed, looking at his friend solemnly.

"Platoon… I… I want you to make sure that you do everything in your power to make sure Mama-dono doesn't find out about this," Keroro said in a low, even tone. "Do whatever you do best. I'm… Going to sit this one out and stay to take care of Fuyuki-dono instead, if that's all right."

"Understood," Giroro nodded, and took Kirere by the hand. "We'll think up something."

"I'll be in charge of dinner!" Tamama called out, and rushed out.

"I'll recruit some help of my own," Dororo added, and disappeared through a secret passage beneath a potted plant in Fuyuki's room.

"Here's the list of ingredients," Kururu passed it up, and Nevula took it, and examined it. Alisa's cat ears transforming didn't miss Chiyuro, who began to scribble feverishly in her notepad, but was otherwise unfazed by the sight of another alien.

"Couldn't you just send a bunch of your guards to get everything?" Chandi asked Momoka as she looked over the list, and Momoka shook her head.

"Not if it's dangerous… I… Don't want to hurt anyone else," she answered in such a tone Chandi was taken aback by the sadness.

"These are some old names!" Nevula exclaimed as he read over the list.

"Daddy, you know what they are?" Alisa glanced up towards her father.

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, they're all still found on Pekopon today," Nevula added, studying the list. "They use a great deal of ancient names for the locations… I should be able to remember with a little bit of thinking, though."

"We don't have much time!" Momoka darted out of the room, then stuck her head back in a few moments later. "Are you coming?!"

Alisa's eyes widened with a slight surprise at being addressed so forwardly, then she exited the room, looking back to Fuyuki once more. Chandi followed speedily behind, and the three girls all looked up as moments later Chiyuro walked downstairs, her notebook loosely in one hand.

"If… If it's all right, I'd like to help…" she said quietly, joining the other girls.  
Momoka looked at her unsurely for a moment, but then gave a small smile of relief; Chiyuro returned this, and then they quickly fell into action.

"It'd probably make the most sense for us to split up," Chandi said. "We can each take half of the list-It'll be quicker that way!"

"And this is…" Nevula read aloud translations as he looked at the list, while Chiyuro nodded and wrote these down quickly.

"Well…. Tsukigami-san and I can take half, and use one of my family's smaller jets to get to where we need to be," said Momoka, looking over to Chiyuro.

"I guess that means we'll take the other half," Chandi looked to Alisa.

"Here," Chiyuro ripped off a sheet of paper, and handed it to Alisa. "That's your half. Let's go."

"We'll be in touch as often as we can!" Momoka pulled out her phone as they rushed out of the home, and Chandi looked down at the list.

"I know this place!" she exclaimed, pointing to a top location. "I lived near here when I was little! It's in Tibet."

"Come on," Alisa took Chandi by the hand, then lifted her up, and took to the air as Nevula spread out, forming a large pair of wings. This wasn't without Chandi screaming with surprise at the sudden absence of land beneath her feet.

"Fuyuki! Natsumi! I'm home!" Aki tossed aside her helmet as she walked in, and dropped her bag on the floor. "You won't believe how hectic today was! I-Eh? Tama-chan?"

"Dinner's ready!" Tamama exclaimed as he walked out in the apron Keroro usually wore, and a ladle in one hand. "C'mon!"

"A-All right," Aki chuckled as she followed Tamama, puzzled by the sweet scents that lingered in the kitchen.

"Ta-da! A candy buffet!" Tamama exclaimed, hopping onto a chair and extending his arms to show the sprawl of sweets he'd made.

"Th-That's very nice, Tama-chan, but these are more for dessert than dinner. Have you seen Natsumi and Fuyuki?"

"They're still a little busy…"

"Busy? With what?" Aki asked as she took a seat at the table, and poked at the bowl of noodles with a pair of chopsticks, quickly realizing that these were gummy noodles.

"Mama!" Aki stood as she heard a call from the living room, and walked out, bending down at the coffee table to meet eye-level with Kirere. The pink Keronian stood holding a bundle of fabric, and smiling. "Mama, can you help me with my Halloween costume?"

"Well… All right, what do you want to go as, Kirere-chan?"

" I wanna be her!" Kirere answered, dropping the fabrics and unfolding a poster.

"Like that'll ever happen," Tamama snorted, and took a bite of one of the cookies laid out on his buffet.

"This should be it here," Chandi lifted up the piece of notebook paper and pointed to the top of a mountain point. "We need some of the water from one stream in particular, on the top of the mountain."

"Right," Alisa nodded, and swooped down. Chandi clutched onto the other girl about the neck, and gave another yell as they quickly descended onto the mountain top. She lost her grip and tumbled out onto the snow, lifting her head up from it a moment later and coughing a bit.

"T-this p-place is freezing!" Chandi held her hands together and rubbed them for warmth. "Aren't you a little cold?"

"Eh?" Nevula's eye darted as he heard a crunching noise over the moaning of the wind, and he gave a gasp. "Look out!" he called out, and both girls snapped their heads over to the sound of a long, low growl.

"Right here!" Momoka called out to the pilot of the small jet, and he nodded. The place Nishizawa pointed to was a place in a dense forest, and when Chiyuro looked out the window all she could see were trees, and surrounding these trees a large, decrepit temple.

"…Where do we land?" Chiyuro wondered aloud, and yelped as Momoka tossed her a backpack, while Nishizawa strapped into her own.

"Wherever God wants us to!" Momoka answered determinedly, kicking open the door to the jet and looking down into the woods.

"A-Are you serious!? We can't do that! Are you insane!?" Chiyuro shouted. Momoka couldn't hear her over the wind; instead Nishizawa jumped out, and Chiyuro hesitated a few more moments, put on her parachute, then yelled as she jumped off herself, towards the dense jungle.


	39. Fuyuki: A Global Effort! Pt2

M'kay, part two :D After the next chapter I should be caught up, time-wise. It takes place around November 5th ;)

Until then, please enjoy this chapter! I had a lot of fun making it-Really a lot of this is just the fangirl in my coming out. So many girls like Fuyuki, I'd like to see something where they all had to join forces. Oh, well, a girl can dream, right? :)

Episode 19:  
Fuyuki: A Global Effort! He Has to be Saved!  
Part 2:

The white furry beast gave another growl, letting its fangs show, and Chandi gave a gasp as she recognized the ape-like creature.

"I-It's a Yeti!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "T-This is proof that they exist! They're real! They-UGH!" she was pushed out of the way by Alisa, who slid in front of the monster, while Nevula extended out, forming a large mouth with one of his appendages. Between the cold, lack of oxygen, and excitement, Chandi felt her head bob, and the collapsed to the ground.

When Chandi came through, she was in a cave, laid beside a fire. Nevula and Alisa sat in other corner side of the cave, Nevula on Alisa's lap, looking a bit ill.

"Alisa, I think that was a bit much," he said with a groan.

"W-What happened to the Yeti?" Chandi asked, standing up shakily.

"Daddy and I took care of it," Alisa answered.

"Aren't you cold?" Chandi took a seat next to Alisa, who glanced sideways at the girl.

"I thought the fire would provide warmth."

"It does, but… We're still on top of the mountain, it's really cold! And I stayed with my hands on an ice block for hours, and I wasn't even that cold then!" Chandi chuckled and scooted over beside Alisa. "Here, we can keep one another warm."

She took Alisa's hand but almost instantly dropped it, stunned at the coldness.

"You… You're freezing!" Chandi gasped. "How can you be so cold and be all right?!"

Alisa's frown deepened, and she set Nevula aside, and stood, "I'll gather some more firewood. Once the storm has cleared, we'll look for that stream."

Alisa walked out without another word, and Chandi glanced down at Nevula, "Did… I say something that upset her?"

"Alisa's goal in life is to attain humanity. My only goal now… The only reason I live… Is to give that to her," Nevula answered.

"She's… Not human…."

"Not yet. But she will be, I'm sure of it," Nevula replied, shifting and looking up happily to Chandi.

"Suddenly why she's friends with Fuyuki makes a lot more sense," Chandi looked down and smiled. "…He seems to attract strange things wherever he goes. For years, I thought I was the only one like that… It's weird finding out you're not so special, but… It's also kind of a relief. At least I can compete with him for who's weirder now!" she chuckled, and looked up as a shadow came from the opening of the cave, and Alisa walked in, arms full with firewood. Chandi hopped up and rushed over to her, taking some of the load off of the orange-haired girl.

Alisa tossed the rest into the pile while Chandi positioned the firewood carefully, and the Indian girl stood up, across from Alisa, "We have terrible timing, it looks like it's starting to finally clear up!" she chuckled, and Alisa glanced over, and saw indeed the white blinding white was clearing up. "Come on, let's get going! I bet I can even beat you to it!"

Alisa picked up Nevula from the floor, and he worked his way back onto the top of her head, forming familiar set of cat ears. As they stepped out of the cave, he took a more umbrella shape, and Chandi grinned in gratitude at this.

"Come on!" she called out, and grabbed Alisa's hand, not making any more mention of the coldness as she pulled her along.

"He-Help!" Chiyuro yelped as her parachute chords remained tangled within the branches of the tree. She gave a yell of surprise and as the branches slowly cracked and popped, until they broke from the newfound weight on them. She screamed all the way down, until she realized she hadn't hit the ground. She slowly opened her eyes, and shakily looked around to her left, then right, then at Momoka.

"I… I…" Momoka set her down on the forest ground, and Chiyuro still shook as they looked up at the ancient stone temple. "I-Is that it?"

"It should be," Momoka nodded, and Chiyuro removed her parachute, then stood next to the blue-haired girl, both looking up at the towering structure.

"Let's hurry, there isn't a lot of time," Chiyuro looked down at her watch, and Momoka nodded. The two scaled up the narrow steps to the ancient temple as quickly as they could; this wasn't without struggle, and a few times both came close to slipping.

They finally they reached the top, panting. Chiyuro looked over her shoulder and could barely believe she'd just finished walking all of that. Momoka was about to approach the temple opening, when Chiyuro suddenly stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Look," she pointed, and there at the front of the entry was a trip wire, glistening when the light hit it just right. Momoka nodded, and both stepped over it gingerly, breathing equal sighs of relief as there was quiet following. This was followed by screams as the floor fell out from beneath them, sending them down a long, darkened chute.

When they finally hit the bottom, it was filled with deep, murky water. Momoka was the first to lift her head out of the water, followed by Chiyuro. It was Momoka who helped Chiyuro up onto one of the large flat rocks scattered throughout the water-filled cavern.

"We must be all the way back down, if not more!" Chiyuro exclaimed, and adjusted her glasses to look up at the bright and distant light above their heads. "…There doesn't seems to be a way out from here…" she added grimly, looking about at the dark surroundings.

"What? There has to be!" Momoka bolted up, and looked around a bit. "We have to find that ingredient and get it to Fuyuki-kun!" she clenched her fists tightly, until they shook, "I… I'll make one if I have to…"

"Huh?" Chiyuro turned her head, and picked up a patch of moss from the very rock they stood on. "This… This is it, here!"

"Really?!" Momoka bent down to examine it, and then laughed happily as Chiyuro strategically and carefully but a sample in the bag.

"That should be enough…" Chiyuro said quietly, and sat back. "Now to get back up…."

Momoka looked up at the same dim light Chiyuro did, and then clenched her fists, "…I'll have to. For Fuyuki-kun…."

It ended up where Nishizawa began to scale up the stone well with her bare hands, Chiyuro gripping onto her back tightly with fear.

"You're halfway there!" Chiyuro called out, and Momoka answered in a determined growl. She continued her climb, giving a yelp as her foot slipped on the smooth stone. She tried to regain her grip, but it was no use-She fell, and nearly dropped the entire way back down. At the last moment Chiyuro managed to grip onto a stone with one hand and Momoka with the other, and Nishizawa dangled in Chiyuro's grasp, the dark water below.

"Huh?" Chiyuro's glasses flashed as she saw something wiggling in front of her eyes; she soon recognized this as a rope. Momoka managed to grip on first, and Chiyuro again climbed onto her back.

Momoka climbed to the top, and both girls lied out on the ground, panting from exhaustion, when they finally climbed out of the hole they'd fallen through. The tall, muscular figure who stood over them was shadowed by the light for a moment, but as Momoka lifted her head, the details on the other woman's face came into view, and she gasped happily.

"Mama!" Momoka cried out happily, embracing Oka. "What… What are you doing here?!"

"I was in town for a martial arts tournament," Oka answered, patting her daughter on the head. "I heard you needed a little bit of help, so I came to see if you needed any."

Momoka wasn't sure how much she believed about her mother being "in town" by pure coincidence, but this thinking was overridden by her happiness seeing her mother, "You came just in time!" Momoka replied. "Are you going to stay long?"

Oka looked apologetic, and Momoka's smile fell a bit, only to return moments later.

"It's all right, I understand," Momoka answered, and Oka's expression softened momentarily. "Stay safe, Mama."

Oka turned away from them both, her cape flowing dramatically, and Chiyuro watched this exchange, awestruck.

"T-That was your Mama?" Chiyuro asked shakily.

"Mm," Momoka nodded. "She isn't around much, but… She's there when I need her. Come on." Momoka held out her hand to Chiyuro, and Chiyuro nodded and took it.

The jet came, and the two were off again, in search of the next ingredient; from the top of the jungle ruins, Oka watched the jet vanish from sight, until she could no longer see it.

"Good luck… Momoka…" Oka said quietly.

"This can't be right, can it?" Chandi called out through the heavy wind; she was clutching onto Alisa, and the large, black wings Nevula formed reflected onto the ocean waters in the form of a quickly-moving blur. Dolphins swam a good distance away, and Chandi drew closer to Alisa as she saw something that resembled a shark beneath them. "We… Alisa, we're in the middle of nowhere!"

"Daddy, are you sure this is right?" Alisa looked upward toward her father, also nothing the absence of any sort of land around them.

"I could have sworn there was an island here… Many, many years ago…" Nevula replied, "Alisa, it had to be here."

"You know, sometimes islands just vanish… Just like Atlantis…" Chandi's eyes lit up at this idea. "You don't think the place we're looking for is-"

"Here!" Nevula shouted out as the water changed to a darker color, meaning the water had either become deeper, or there was something directly beneath them. "It's down here!" he swooped down, and crashed into the water. Alisa and he had no problem beneath the ocean, although after pounding on Alisa's shoulder enough, Chandi was able to get the point across to the undead girl/doll that she wasn't faring well beneath the water.

They rose back up, and Chandi immediately began to gasp for the air, paddling the water wildly as she did so. She calmed after a few moments, and spat out the ocean water she had swallowed.

"I… I can't go down there, just like that!" she coughed.

"We'll get it, then. Stay safe up here," Nevula replied, and slowly sunk beneath the waves again before Chandi could protest. She was left treading the water and looking nervously out at the fins cresting above the water a few hundred yards from her.

She began to slowly back-paddle as the fins seemed to become larger and larger, and broke out into a full panicked swim as it was obvious that they had her in their sights.

And then they sunk below the water. Chandi panted heavily, her eyes darting about wildly for any signs of the fins, and she gave a yell as they were replaced by a set of eyes looking from beneath the water to her. The head full of green hair rose up slowly, and looked at Chandi with a pleasant, peaceful grin.

"You… You're not going to hurt me, right?" Chandi asked shakily, and the other girl only tilted her head. Chandi's eyes fell toward the water, and she drew her head back when she saw that instead of legs, this girl bore a single tail. The mermaid reached down, and pulled off a few scales from her tail, a slightly-pained look on her face as she did so, and she then held them out to Chandi. Chandi took them shakily, and studied the brightly-colored scales in awe.

"…These were next on the list…. How did you…" Chandi looked back up to the mermaid, but she was gone, leaving Chandi bobbing alone in the ocean. With her, the shark fins had also all vanished. "….Thank you, Miss Mermaid."  
The crest of the water broke again, and Chandi expected to see the mermaid once more, but was met with the equally-mysterious eyes of Alisa.

"We found the seaweed," she said evenly, and held it up to show. "Next we need the-"

"We have them," Chandi grinned widely, holding up the scales. "…Looks like only one more ingredient left now!"

"…This place goes on forever!" Chiyuro wiped her forehead, and Momoka nodded tiredly; the desert heat and globe-trotting was taking its toll on her, as well, and it was obvious. But both kept walking through the desert, over the dunes.

"It shouldn't be much further, we just have to keep going!" Momoka called out to her.

"I… I don't know if I can…" Chiyuro admitted, pausing.

Momoka stopped, and clenched her fists, "We don't have much time, we have to! Now… Do you care about Fuyuki-kun or not?!"

Chiyuro was silent, then shakily stood, and started off with Momoka once more again.

"We've made it this far… We just can't give up now," Momoka added.

"You really care about him," Chiyuro said through a tired huff.

"…Of course I do," Momoka said quietly. "He's Fuyuki-kun. And… I don't think you would have come if you didn't care yourself, Tsukigami-san."

Chiyuro answered this with quiet, and flushed a bit-It was near-unnoticeable, though, given the heat of the desert already surrounding them.

The winds of the desert showed a sudden burst of energy, and both crouched down and shielded their faces, removing their hands and looking in relief to the party in front of them as the winds settled.

"We have the other ingredients," Alisa announced, holding out a small, soaking wet backpack.

"Did you two manage to find the cactus yet?" Chandi asked, and they continued on over another dune, Chandi slipping a little as they did so.

"It's a wide desert, and this is one spot I'm not sure of the exact location," Nevula admitted.

"Hrm?" Chiyuro leaned forward, and adjusted her glasses. "…What's that over there?"

"Looks like an oasis," Chandi replied.

"With tents," Alisa added. "…I think there are people settled there."

"I think you're right, Alisa," Nevula replied, blinking.

"Maybe one of them knows where it is..." Momoka thought aloud, then giggled, finding a new burst of energy as they approached the camp.

The closer they came, the larger the tents failed to become; it fact, they stayed just at the shoulder-level of all of the girls. The tents were worn, dark-colored, and covered in golden decorations and flags, with bizarre characters and writing scrawled on them.

"This is identical to the writing from the letter!" Chiyuro gasped, leaning in and taking a photograph of one of the banners with her phone. She compared it to a photograph she'd taken back at the Hinata house, and nodded in confirmation. "This exactly the same!"

"They led us directly back to the makers. This must have been the plan all along," Nevula concluded.

"This is… A lot of this looks familiar…" Chandi admitted as she walked through the camp.

"Have you been here before, Chandi-san?" Momoka asked.

"No, but… These decorations… And the writing… I know it from somewhere!" Chandi answered. "Like I've seen these symbols around here before…"

Alisa's eyes shifted toward one tent in peculiar; the front flap moved ever so slowly, and immediately Nevula shot out an arm-like appendage to catch whatever was behind it.

Whatever it was, it came out swinging a blade, which Alisa managed to move her head out of the way of just in time. What Nevula held continued swinging, until an old, scratchy voice barked out.

"What do you think you're doing!? Stop that at once, is that how you show your hospitality?!" shouted the woman's voice, and all looked over to the old, frail purple Keronian, who looked at the younger Keronian, annoyance flashing in her red eyes.

She leaned on a gnarled wooden cane for support, and was dressed in dark purple robes that covered most of her body, save for her hands and face. Her face was covered in triangle-shaped tattoos. The younger Keronian's face and arms were also covered in black tattoos, which included a triangle in the middle of his head.

"…I know where I know it all from now," Chandi said with a whisper of awe.

The old Keronian shakily poured another glass of water, and it was passed down the line of girls. They sat in front of her, knelt and silent.

"It's not often we get visitors," the Keronian explained. "I think I know what you've come for, though. Undoubtedly one of your friends has stumbled upon one of our ancient weapons. We've never had a group so close to attaining all of the ingredients necessary for an antidote. You must really care for whoever it is if you're willing to make the trek all the way out here…"

"We really have to hurry, there isn't much time for Fuyuki-kun!" Momoka piped up, and the Keronian woman looked dully at her, but gave a nod, and she slowly stood, and hobbled over to a potted cactus in a corner of her tent. Its leaves were bright green, but its flowers ruby-red. The Keronian woman picked off one of the flowers and hobbled back, dragging over a bowl and taking back her seat in front of her visitors. She motioned for the girls to give out what they'd collected so far, and they did so, unsurely.

The Keronian woman hummed to herself as she worked blending the ingredients, holding up a hand to silence anyone who went to speak. When she finally finished, she bottled the antidote, and passed it on to Momoka.

"He should be fine within seconds of taking that," she reassured them. "In fact, he should feel better than he has in ages... It's strange…. Just when I forget the astounding things people are willing to go through for one another… I get wonderful surprises, like this. After seeing so much cruelty in my younger years, it's a relief. It makes me feel better about the younger generation."

"Did… You come here directly from Keron?" Chandi asked quietly, and the Keronian looked at her, both delighted and surprised.

"Why, yes. That was a long, long time ago, though. I doubt there's anyone left who would remember the time I would," she answered. "I'd explain in more detail as to how I came to this place, but you must hurry. There isn't much time, as you said before. And I need to get my rest in. This excitement has simply worn me out!"

The girls stood and filed out, Chandi the last in the line. She looked back at the old Keronian woman once more, standing there, silent and wondering for a moment.

"Yes?" the Keronian asked. "Was there something else you needed, child?"

"Did… Did you have a son?"

"Yes," the Keronian nodded. "I doubt he survived, though. To my knowledge everyone in my tribe who wasn't with my party perished. My son chose to stay and fight with my husband…. I lost them both that night."

"Oh. Sorry, I… I'm sorry I asked."

"Don't be," the Keronian smiled gently. "You know… Even though I say that about my son… I've never really believed it. He was too strong. Even as a child. I like to think he survived."

The Keronian shut her eyes, and tilted her head down a bit; she was done talking, it was clear. Chandi remained there a moment more, then left the tent, and joined the rest of the rescue team outside.

"And that's basic programming, kukuku!" Kururu stood back from the chart presentation and laughed. "Any questions?"

"Eh?" Aki raised her head up, blinking, and then gave a yawn. "No it… It was very informative, Kuru-chan…. Now, if you excuse me, I think I need to get some rest… After that, helping Kire-chan with her costume… And then helping Giro-chan organize his weapons… I think I'm pretty well worn-out."

"Tch. I tried," he tossed aside the pointer he'd been using and shuffled out of the kitchen. "It's someone else's turn now, kukuku! I did my good deed already."

"I suppose it's come to this," Dororo picked up the juggling clubs he'd had by his side as he sat in the living room, and sighed. "Mama-dono, watch-"  
The door slammed open, jarring Aki, and she saw four worn, tired, girls, Momoka at the head of them, her hand still on the door she'd swung open full force.

"Fuyuki-kun! We're coming!" Momoka shouted out, rushing up the stairs.

"A-Are we having a party?" a puzzled Aki asked after the other girls hurried after Momoka.

"Eh?" Fuyuki blinked a few times, and shapes started to come back into focus. "Nee-chan? What…?" he yelled with surprise as Natsumi lifted him up, embracing him tightly.

"Fuyuki! Don't scare me like that!" she snapped. "That's an order, as your big sister!"

"What happened?" Fuyuki placed a hand on the back of his head, and jumped as he realized he had an audience. "Nishizawa-san? Alisa-chan? Tsukigami-san? Chandi-san? What're you all…?"

"Fuyuki-dono!" Keroro wept, and now it was his turn to embrace Fuyuki. "We thought you were done for!"

"Gunso? What happened?" Fuyuki asked, dazed. "I… I have a feeling like I missed out on a lot!"

"The biggest story of my life… And I won't be able to publish it," Chiyuro said to herself with a shake of the head. The four girls and Nevula sat at the candy-buffet at the table, all looking equally-parts exhausted.

"Taking part of it is better anyway, right? I got to see that Yetis exist, but I didn't get any proof," Chandi raised her head from the table, and then set it back down again.

"Alisa, we have much work to get to… And you need your rest," Nevula said quietly to his daughter, and Alisa stood up from the table, understanding this.

"Alisa," Chandi raised her head again as Southerncross walked to the front door. Alisa turned sideways, awaiting what Chandi had to say. "We should… Get together some time. I think you'd be another great rival. I'd like to beat you at something someday."

Alisa nodded, and was out the door quietly.

"Eh? Alisa-chan left already?" Fuyuki walked downstairs and into the kitchen, where the remaining three girls sat.

"I think she likes to be mysterious like that," Chandi stood up and yawned. "I have to get home, Mora's going to worry."

Chiyuro jerked her head up, as if she only thought of the time and her own family now, "I need to get home! My mother's going to be so worried! I didn't call or anything!"

"I'll walk you," Chandi replied. "Don't worry, you can just tell her you were with friends."

"Tsukigami-san?" Momoka called out from the table. "I… You're my great rival."

Chiyuro's glasses glinted, and she gave a determined grin. While both walked out the door, Chandi dialed a number on her phone.

"Yes, yes… I'm fine, Mora, don't worry," Fuyuki could hear Chandi say as they walked away. "Can you put Rokiki on? I've got a few questions for him."

Momoka was left at the table, and she looked shyly up at Fuyuki. He took a seat at the table, and Momoka jumped, her face bright red.  
'Payment for a good deed… Alone time with Fuyuki-kun,' Momoka thought with a grin.

"Nishizawa-san, Gunso-san and everyone filled me in on what happened…" Fuyuki started. "I just wanted to say-"

"We've still got a ton left at the candy-buffet!" Momoka jumped back as Tamama's head popped up from one of the vacant seats, and Keroro's head popped out at the other one.

"Let's eat up so I don't have any troublesome leftovers to contend with!" Keroro chirped. Momoka clenched her fists, briefly thinking about beating the living hell out of both of the troublesome Keronians, but slowly unclenched them, and looked up at Fuyuki bashfully.

"F-Fuyuki-kun?"

"Hrm? What is it, Nishizawa-san?"

"I… I'm glad you're all right."

Fuyuki smiled and laughed with relief, "Thanks! And… Thank you for making sure I was all right!"

"You… You're welcome…" Momoka said with a quiet, contented grin.

"Who wants to see how much we can eat before we all pass out!?" Tamama called out happily, and Momoka gripped him by the top of the head, and lifted him up.

"No one wants to hear it!" she growled in her dark tone. Fuyuki only gave a slightly-nervous laugh to this exchange.


	40. Fujuju: A Birthday Ringing in Terror Pt1

This is to catch me up on my time-line :) London-based episode this time, next episode's going to be Kirere (yay! She's one of a couple of characters I find I have to pace myself with-I just love writing for her so much, though, hehe). After that, I have it narrowed down to a few choices ^_~

Urm, so, yeah. I updated. Surprise? XD

Episode 20:

Fujuju: Spend the Birthday Ringing in Terror!

Part 1:

Another hit with the hammer, and the metal device in the plastic bag was in tiny bits. Fujuju lifted this up and looked at it with a relieved grin, then tossed it over his shoulder and into the trash, "A ray that turns everyday life into a musical… Worst idea I've had in quite some time." He then turned his attention to the golden staff laid out in two separate pieces, and pulled open a drawer, looking down at another, smaller gold piece; five minutes of welding, he'd have the job done, and the staff fixed. Instead, it'd laid in the drawer for weeks, even gathering a fine film of dust.

Instead he gave a sigh and shut the drawer again, and shook his head, "…But what's stopping me…?" he wondered aloud. He nearly fell off of the tall stool he stood on as he heard the door swing wide open, and Maggie and Oliver walked in, Oliver carrying a large brown wrapped box with a familiar peach insignia on its front.

"We stopped by the post office for you!" Maggie called up, and Fujuju began the climb down to the bottom story of the home. Oliver allowed the box to fall onto the coffee table, and it came down with a heavy thud.

"You got any clue what it is? It feels like it weighs a ton!" Oliver rubbed the back of his neck and stretched a bit, and took a seat on the old worn couch.

"Yes-I was talking with Tama-chan recently about some foods I missed that were on Keron, and he was thoughtful enough to send a care package to me. Oh, wait until you children try some of the food I can make with this!" he pulled off the tape and revealed a clear mason jar, with a still-squirming purple squid-like monster writhing in it.

"T-That's all right, we'd much rather prefer a curry," Maggie chuckled, holding up her hands and taking a step back. "Oh? Did you make this place bigger since last?"

"Well… Not exactly… Botan has… Been cleaning more," he cleared his throat. "…Apparently I've got another guest room I'd completely forgotten about."

"Hey, less worries when you start a family, right?" Oliver shrugged, and Maggie shot her brother a death glare in response, while Fujuju only listened to this, puzzled.

"Where is she at, anyway?" Maggie craned her head, attempting to catch a glimpse of the silver-haired Time Bender.

"Mags, you know where she is, we sent her out to get a ca-OW!" he gave a yelp as Maggie tossed a pillow directly at his face, and he tossed it aside with a huff.

"…I'm not sure, honestly," Fujuju admitted, "She left quite early this morning, though… Before I could even make breakfast!"

"Maybe she's getting some fireworks together!" Oliver said with a happy gasp.

"…You make an art out of saying the wrong thing at the best of times…" Maggie placed a hand over her forehead and sighed, and took a seat beside her brother. "So do you have any plans for today?"

"Well… Perhaps planning for this weekend with you both. Any idea where we're off to next?"

"No can do, mate," Fujuju shot his head back, surprised by this news from Oliver. "Got that school dance Saturday, remember? And I actually managed to get a date!"

"There was a rare aligning in the planets," Maggie muttered wearily. "That, or he paid someone."

"Oh. Well… You'll both have a good time then with your dates, I hope."

"Eh, I will. Maggie ain't got one," Oliver replied, pointing to his sister, who looked at him darkly, but her expression shifted as she looked to Fujuju.

"It's no big deal; I go for the punch and the music, anyway!" Maggie giggled, waving this off flippantly. Fujuju was about to answer, when the door opened, and Botan walked in, her stern expression clashing sharply with the balloons and cake she held.

"Merry Christmas," she said plainly, and both of the twins laughed nervously.

"…You've got the right idea at least," Maggie laughed. "Here, let me help you with that."

She walked over to Botan, as did Oliver, and Fujuju watched in stunned silence, his back turned to the care package; focused more on the twins and Time Bender, he failed to notice the small white envelope fall from the box and underneath the coffee table. The small white, spider-like creature also failed to catch the attention of anyone as it quickly climbed out of the same box, and it scuttled away into an unnoticed crack after surveying its area for a little while.

"You sure you're all right to have candles on it?" Maggie asked worriedly as the four now sat at the dining room table, and Fujuju merely nodded, and she drew in a breath, lighting a few candles atop the cake.

"So, now you make a wish… And don't make it for more fire," Oliver chuckled worriedly. Fujuju looked down at flames for a moment, then across the table at Botan. He quickly averted his eyes and blew out the candles, then cleared his throat.

"I'll get plates!" Maggie chirped, and hopped out of her seat. Oliver took this opportunity to lean in and whisper to Fujuju, giving his tutor a nudge.

"I'd ask you what you wished for, but I think I know," Oliver whispered, and Fujuju's face flushed.

"Back!" Maggie slid back into her chair, and Fujuju recovered, but not without looking across to Botan one more time while she glanced toward the front door.

"…Something the matter?" Maggie asked aloud.

"No. I thought I heard something," she answered, and poked at the cake she was given with a fork.

The small spider-like creature scuttled across the front door, then took hiding in another crack in the wall. It watched quietly as the small party continued, and then the twins stood up, ready to leave.

"Margaret," Fujuju called out to the girl as she was about ready to step out the front door, and Maggie turned back around to him, and looked down at him. "If… If you need an escort for tomorrow, I wouldn't mind-"

"What?" Maggie gasped, and lifted him up. "You'd do that?... For me?... Honest?"

"Well, of course. For you or your brother, I'd-" he was cut off by the tight hug Maggie delivered him, and he heard a crack, which could have only been his spine.

"I… We can come by around seven, perhaps a little earlier. We'll be ready by then!" she lifted him back down, and he stumbled around, a bit dazed. "You… You'll be in your human form, right?"

"What? S-Sure," he nodded, rubbing his head.

"Right. We'll see you then. C'mon, Ollie," Maggie grinned, and led Oliver out of the home happily.

"…What did I just agree to?" he wondered aloud, now coming back to his senses.

"You told Margaret Martin you'd accompany her and her brother to a function," Botan replied.

"Me? I was going to send her along with that boy who delivers the papers on the corner!" Fujuju yelped, then stood. "….I don't even know where I put my suit!"

Panic in his voice set in, and he hurried off for his room.

"How's this look?" he walked out in his human form, and Botan looked up from her place on the couch; she'd taken a seat, reading one of the many books in the home, while he rushed around, looking in vain in his room. "I… I couldn't find the shoes to it…" he admitted, kicking at the ground with a pair of old red sneakers he wore. Botan shut the book and stood, and walked over to him, until she was but a few inches from him. She looked down at his tie, and adjusted it.

"Thank you," he said shakily, and she nodded, and sat back down on the couch, in the same position as before.

"Have you finished my staff?" she asked as he continued to fidget with the shirt sleeves, and Fujuju looked up to her, surprised.

"Finally bored of this place?"

"I have work to get back to," Botan answered sternly. "It's been months."

"I… You're absolutely right, it has… Give me one more night, it should be done," he said quietly with a small nod. "In fact… I'll go work on it now…" he shuffled up the stairs, and Botan returned to her reading.

He removed the piece from the drawer, and then the hammer from the table, and looked down at both, then out to the bottom level. He had a good view of her from the couch, and he took a seat on the stool, and sighed in frustration, allowing his forehead to rest on the edge of the workbench.

"You could always beg. That works…. Every one out of a million times," he grumbled in disdain, and raised his head again. She was gone from the couch, and he frowned. "…There's nothing wrong with just you and the children. It's better that way. This was always temporary, you knew that. Not like she'd really see anything, anyway. She could spend a thousand months here and not see anything. And, you're out of practice on top of it... Pathetic."

"What are you going to do with that?" he jumped at the sound of a voice from behind him, and he recovered, and spun around on the stool to face Botan.

"How'd you… So quickly… I… This?" he glanced at the hammer in his hand, and then back to her, and she nodded. "Well, fix your staff, just as promised… Just because it's someone's birthday doesn't mean they don't work!"

"Can I borrow it?" she asked abruptly, and he jerked his head back, then laughed.

"I'm afraid not. It's much, much too powerful for most, I don't even trust myself with it most of the time!" he chuckled lightly. He nearly dropped it as Botan leaned in and kissed him, and she pulled it away from his hand gently as she broke away from him. "I… This isn't anything I couldn't do with a welding machine….Be careful with it…." he squeaked, and she nodded, and turned away from him, a dark smile growing on her face as she walked away from him and down the steps of the lab.

A smile slowly grew on his face, and he spun back around in his chair, only to once again nearly fall out as he saw Botan standing in front of him, a puzzled look on her face.

"I… How did you… Again…?"

"I found one of your shoes. It was in my closet," her tone was even, and her expression calm as usual, as if nothing had happened. He nodded numbly, dazed, and she turned and walked away from him without another word.

"….What just happened?" he shook his head, but then whispered to himself. "…She just must be embarrassed. Poor girl," he concluded, and continued work. "…Who would've thought it, though?... There must be something scientific about wishing, something I didn't realize."

As he did this, the spider-creature took up residency in one of the spare rooms, shooting out and stringing up a glistening web on the ceiling; wrapped in the middle of the webbing was the very hammer "Botan" had walked away with moments ago.

"Your tutor's going with you?" Frannie repeated, and Oliver and Maggie both nodded. Frannie thought this over for a minute, and took another bite of her bagel. "Well, that's a little unusual."

"Oh, he's very unusual," Oliver nodded and snorted.

"So, is Mr. Tutor single?" Frannie asked with a wink. "It's been forever since I've had a decent date, and he seems nice."

"Fran, trust us, you and he are from completely different planets," Maggie said with a knowing giggle.

"Well, I-Oh, no! Work starts in ten minutes!" Frannie caught sight of the clock and jumped up from the kitchen table. "Have a good time, take lots of pictures!" she grabbed an apron she had hanging by the front door, and was gone.

"We should go visit him early, make sure he doesn't try to bail on you," Oliver stood up, and Maggie shot him a glare. "What? I certainly would! You're scary!"

"Come on," she grumbled, and both were out of the house moments after Frannie left.

When they arrived, they were nearly bowled over as something flew past them, and then back again.

"What's going on with you?!" Oliver laughed as Fujuju stopped in front of them, now back to his small Keronian form, and rushing about the house at a dizzying pace.

"Oh, my apologies. Just cleaning a bit is all," Fujuju shrugged.

"You? I don't believe it!" Oliver closed the door behind them, and Maggie noticed from the kitchen counter Botan's staff, completed, and next to the staff a bouquet of flowers.

"She's not up yet, but I thought it'd be a nice surprise," he said in answer to the quiet, inquiring looks the children gave him on the flowers. Oliver tilted his head to a side, and Fujuju's grin only grew, and he walked toward the kitchen, not saying anything, but whistling cheerily to himself.

"All right, we have to know what happened," Maggie looked at the flowers and shook her head. "You're never like this!"

"Yeah, it's scary. Go back to being all naggy and mothery, please," Oliver added. "Normal cheery is acceptable. This overly cheery you is just odd…. Something happened with her, didn't it? You finally said something to her, didn't you?"

"You don't think these are overkill, do you?" he hopped up worriedly on one of the kitchen chairs, and looked up to the twins.

"No, they're gorgeous!" Maggie said confidently. "She's sure to love them!"

"That's an admittance if I ever heard one," Oliver folded his arms and looked critically.

"Well, I… Let's just say that there is definitely something to being yourself. It's amazing the things that will come to you if you allow it to happen," Fujuju answered brightly, and Maggie laughed.

"So this is you in love. It's sort of funny…" she giggled.

"It's sort of disturbing," Oliver replied flatly, and Maggie nudged him sharply. "Ow! What did I do now!?"

And Botan walked out, and at that moment Maggie tugged Oliver's jacket sleeve, and pulled him out of the kitchen, leaving the two aliens alone.

"Come on, let's go keep cleaning for a bit, or at least pretend to while we listen in!" Maggie whispered to her brother, pulling him along toward another room.

Botan seemingly ignored the flowers, and instead lifted up her staff, studying the craftsmanship, "…This will do." she said with an affirming nod. "Thank you. I'll pack my things now."

"Pack?" Fujuju choked. "But, I… You don't have to, not on account of me! Let's talk about this, first. If it's about last night-"

Botan's answer was cut off by a high-pitched scream echoing from another room, and both went off running, stopping in front of what the twins stood staring at, paralyzed by horror.

"Get back from that!" Fujuju called out to them, stepping in front of them and looking at the ornate spider web that covered the ceiling of the room. "Bloody hell…"

"Please tell me it's Sylvia out of her cage again!" Oliver pleaded, and Fujuju was silent, watching instead as the pale spider descended from a web on the ceiling. Botan's eyes went wide upon recognizing the creature.

"You know what it is?" Maggie asked, and Botan gave a firm nod.

"Memory-catchers," she answered. "…Some of the most powerful aliens known throughout space."

"A-And they're friendly, too, right?" Oliver suggested.

"Far from," Fujuju muttered. "They're the unfortunate result of one particular brand of vegetable, one that takes this form after it expires. It takes memories and manipulates their victims…. They're also shape-shifters, so that doesn't help us much."

"You… You're telling me that's what happens to leftovers!?" Maggie yelped.

"Only some. Nothing really as horrible as this thing, though," Fujuju replied.

"Heh, and what's worse, it's got your hammer," Oliver gulped, and looked up to the dim blue light sticking out of the webbing.

"Must've been stolen while you were borrowing it," Fujuju glanced up at Botan, then up to the webbing.

"Borrowing it?" Botan repeated.

"Yes, last night, when you and I-…." he stopped himself, and slowly brought a hand to his mouth, and paled. "….Oh, dear…. I…. I think I'm going to be ill." He started to go back, as though he were preparing to faint, and Oliver quickly righted up again.

The spider detached itself from its thread, and all four backed away from it. Slowly it morphed on the ground, until it stood up and smiled at them, now an identical clone of Botan, save for the dark, twisted smile on its face.

All had a sick, sick feeling of dread from the grin the impostor gave them.


	41. Fujuju: A Birthday Ringing in Terror Pt2

Soooo here's the second part! :D Not a whole lot to say beyond that, I'm afraid XD

Episode 20

Fujuju: Spend the Birthday Ringing in Terror!

Part 2

"You really are a fool for a pretty girl. Your memories told me the same thing," the creature looked up at the webbing and grinned, and reached up, pulling the hammer out of the mess. "…And I thought getting trapped in that crate was a bad thing. This place is very promising, though."

"Hey, knock it off! I already have someone who looks like me and it's scary enough, you don't need to go and copy one of us, too!" Oliver snapped.

"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't really waste my time," it answered. "I know you, though. You're the one with all of those nice memories of the future-You know, where this little thing and that icy giant are married and happy ever after?"

"What?" the tone was sharp in Botan's voice, a disbelieving tone. Her twin only nodded and laughed.

"It's a lovely picture. You go from the pride of a dying nation of Time Benders to a happy mother and wife… I was a little jealous for a minute, your children are adorable!"

"My job… My duty… Is my life. I would never think about marriage. To anyone," Fujuju flinched at this, and Maggie and Oliver looked painfully at Botan. "What you're telling is pure fabrication."

"He does seem to like you, though…. I was wondering why I had all of those memories of him thinking up different excuses on why not to finish your staff… Then it clicked. And to think, all that work that you could have been doing all this time…. All because he couldn't open his mouth and just say something to you."

Another flinch, and Fujuju felt his face go bright red; he could feel Botan's glare burning into the back of his head, and he slowly turned around to face her, "….I… I am so sorry…"

She only glared at him silently, her grip on her staff tightening, as though she were pretending it was his throat and she was squeezing the life out of him.

"Stop this! Stop it right now!" Maggie stepped forward. "Just… Tell us what you want, then leave us alone!"

"This form I'm in is bothering you," the creature nodded. "I understand. I'll change." It did so, taking a few steps and transforming now into a younger Eliza, who smiled sweetly. "You seemed to have an awful lot of good memories about her!" she said to Fujuju with a fake cheeriness.

"….You have three seconds to change, or you'll be very, very sorry you didn't," Fujuju said gravely.

"Can't you do something?" Oliver looked over to Botan. "Use some of your Time magic and stop it?!"

"…I'll be back for my things later. If I see any of you in my presence, the only good thing about it will be you won't live long enough to regret it," she slammed her staff down on the ground, and was gone, leaving only the three behind.

"Women," Oliver grumbled.

"Hrm… Looks like she didn't want to stay around. I'd really reconsider… With her demeanor it doesn't seem like it would last between you two, anyway," the creature shook its head, and changed again, now in another form, this one unfamiliar to Fujuju but enough to draw a pained gasp from Maggie.

"You know, I've got other powers. In my natural state I don't look like much, but… I can bring back people, too. People you miss," the woman had long blonde hair, and while she looked like Frannie, had the same green eyes as Oliver and Maggie. "You just give me anything else around here that's powerful, like this hammer… You round it all up, and I'll bring her and your father back to you both."

"It's lying," Fujuju snapped to them. "No one has the power to bring anyone back. Not anyone."

"Oh, he could," the creature nodded, and Fujuju looked at it, stunned. "He just doesn't want to be alone anymore. He could bring back your Mother and Father any time he wanted. He just wants to be your parent now-His own daughter won't even call him, so he keeps you two instead."

"That is not true, and that's her decision!" Fujuju barked, and his frown vanished as Maggie took a few steps forward gingerly, then stood beside the creature. "…Maggie?"

"Mags, what're you-" Oliver was cut off by his sister, though.

"She's right," Maggie tilted her head to a side. "Who knows what else he kept from us, Ollie? He very well could know how to. I mean… All of that lying to Botan, doesn't it make you wonder?"

Oliver glanced down, and saw a few fingers on Maggie's hand twitching, and he shot his head back up to his sister again, "…Ya know… I don't agree with you a lot, but… You make a compelling argument."

He took his spot next to the creature, and nodded toward the exit, "C'mon, we'll show ya around." He led the creature out the room, Fujuju looking silent and awestruck at this entire exchange. Maggie followed behind the creature, and looked over her shoulder to Fujuju, winking at him and then turning back around.

"Hold up," Oliver bent down in front of It, and held up a finger to show pause. "Gotta tie my shoe here a moment."

"Hurry it up!" it barked.

"If you say so," Maggie pushed it from behind, and the creature went bailing over Oliver's back and onto the ground, and the hammer was sent flying into the air. Maggie lunged for it, just beating the creature to it, and she in turn tossed it to Fujuju. "Do something about it! Quick!"

"Right!" Fujuju nodded, and held out the hammer to the stunned, wide-eyed creature. "…You might find that you're going to need a doctor."

He pressed down a button on the hammer, and a light shot out, enveloping the creature, and it transformed into its original, arachnid form, and then vanished.

"…What happened to it?" Oliver stood up and looked down at the small singe mark on the ground. "Did… Did you kill it?"

"No. That was just a transportation beam. You two remember that prison I told you I was sent to all those years ago?" he sat collapsed on the ground, and looked up at them both, annoyed. "Next time you have a plan like that, please feel free to include your teacher in on the joke!"

"Aw, but that's the fun of it!" Oliver lifted up Fujuju and laughed. "You shoulda seen your face! I've never seen you so pale! You actually started to turn yellow for a second, I think!"

"How did it not know you two would've done that?" Fujuju wondered aloud, puzzled.

"Simple," Maggie answered. "See, Ollie and I have this system of hand signals, we just usually use it while we're studying."

"Yeah, it's so we can talk about you and you won't know any better," Oliver chuckled, but his smile soon faded as he saw Fujuju's weary expression.

"…I would love if at some point you two would show me that system…."

"Mr. Langley, are you all right?" another teacher walked over to an older one, both who stood in the gymnasium, acting as chaperones for the dance.

"…When I was in college, I was on the school yearbook. There was a teacher there, in the science department, and I could swear I'm looking at him now," the teacher replied, and took a sip of his punch, then shook his head. "…Maybe it's a good time to retire…"

He muttered as he shuffled off, and Fujuju watched him from across the hall, wondering if he recognized the older man from somewhere.

"Are you all right?" Maggie asked worriedly.

"Eh? Oh, yes. A little sad I couldn't find my dress shoes, though," he looked down at the sneakers he wore, and Maggie laughed.

"That's all right, it's no big deal. Kinda punk, actually," Maggie replied. "…Are you really all right?"

"No. Not at all. But I will be," he gave a reassuring look, "These things happen. You know, until today, I never realized how much braver you both are than me."

"Braver? No, we're not. Not at all."

"That thing took the form of your mother, and you still managed to see past it to defeat it. It took Eliza's form, and I froze up…"

"Well, just had to remember not so much what Mum looked like, as what she would've done in that situation," Maggie answered quietly.

"…Margaret… What that thing said… About those memories…" his voice fell, and then trailed off.

"Anything's possible, right?" Maggie answered. "Just have to believe hard enough."

"I… I suppose so… You... You know I can't bring your parents back, right? Because if I could, I-"

"Relax!" she giggled, and then gave him a reassuring grin. "Ollie and I know that. There's nothing to worry about."

"Good... Because I was worried about that... " he said with a mutter, then his eyes traveled over to where Maggie looked. "…Who's he?"

"Oh?" she jumped a bit, and looked away from the young boy she'd been looking towards. "No one… He's just someone who's in one of my classes is all."

"I see," he nodded, then took Maggie by the arm, and they walked over to the young boy.

"W-Wait, what're we-"

"Excuse me…" he pushed Maggie in front of himself, and the girl immediately clammed up, and her face went red. "Would you mind watching my date while I step out for some fresh air?"

"H-Hello," Maggie looked down at the floor as she spoke, and Fujuju watched from the doorway as the boy seemed to motion asking Maggie to dance, and she lit up. He smiled, content at this, then walked out of the gymnasium.

He took a seat at a basketball court, and looked about at the dark, empty schoolyard. There was a gust of wind, and he felt a pair of eyes upon him suddenly-He turned and saw it was Botan. She stood at the side of the bench, again in her full mask and regalia, and a white envelope in her hands.

"This was in my things. It's yours," she said evenly. "I also have my rent."

"I don't need any money from you… It's the least I could do after what I did…" Fujuju said quietly, taking the envelope and beginning to open it. He took in a sharp breath of air, and shot his head up. "I'm so sorry I-"

"Why did you lie?" her voice raised a bit, and she glared at him from beneath the mask.

He looked down at the envelope, and was quiet for a while, "When the children go home, it's to their family…. Love them as I might, at the end of the day, it's just me. I suppose… I was happy to have someone else around for once. I was selfish again, and just like last time, someone got hurt as a result. I'm sorry."

"Why else?"

"Why else?" he repeated. "Well, what else are you looking for?"

"So you just wanted someone around," she concluded.

"Not exactly," he stood up, and cleared his throat. "If… What that thing said was right, then… You must see something at me, at some point. You're stern, but you're not emotionless. I can see that… I… I don't get this with way many. There was only one other person."

Botan's eyes widened a bit at this, and she remained silent.

"Do I have even a millionth of a chance?" there was more silence, and he nodded, and took a seat on the bench. "…I thought so." He said to himself in resignation, and he finished opening the envelope.

"…Who are they?" Botan asked as she looked over his shoulder at the photograph.

"They're…. My parents…" he answered, stunned. "How… How did they… They're really an amazing bunch."

"You look like your father."

"A little bit, yes… His name was Oriri. I was named after my Mum."

"I like that name," Botan said with some thought.

He shoved the photo into his jacket pocket and stood, "I suppose this is good-bye for us, then. I'm sorry I tricked you. I… Hope you do well in the future," he held out his hand to shake hers, but withdrew it slowly. "…Where did you staff go?..."

She stepped to the side, revealing an old cardboard box; inside were shards of golden metal.

"It broke," she deadpanned.

"Shattered is a better word!" he answered in disbelief, kneeling down and picking up a few of the shards to study them. "It looks like someone took a mallet to it!"

"I'll be able to use my powers enough to deal with small issues until it is fixed. I'll be tired more often from exerting myself, and I'll need a place to stay. You have ample room, so I'll be occupying your home until then, to oversee its progress," his head shot up at these words, and for a fraction of a moment, beneath the mask, he thought he saw her smile.

He lifted up the box and adjusted it until he was able to carry it with ease, and he began to follow her, out of the schoolyard. "So… You really do like that name? It's not one of those times where you're just trying to be nice, is it?"

"Yes."

"…Yes? Yes to what?"

"Just… Yes," she replied.

And as they walked away, Oliver watched from outside the gym, smiling, content at the sight of the two. He looked coolly over towards his sister as she joined him.

"They're sort of cute together," Maggie admitted.

"Just like you and star cricket player Thomas Marshall the fourth," Oliver added, and Maggie's face immediately went red.

"We're just friends is all. What happened to you and your date?"

"Eh, she got boring," he said lightly. "This looked like more fun to watch, anyway…. A good story to tell their kids."

"When you were in the future… You didn't happen to find out anything about me, did you?" Maggie asked hesitantly.

"Nah, they were just going to some stupid wed-" Oliver blinked, and shook his head. "Nah, nothin'. Why, did you want to know if you're marrying the cricket player?"

"No, it's just-"

"Hehe, I can read you like a book!" Oliver chuckled, and then gave a whistle to draw the attention to Fujuju and Botan. "Hey, are you gonna kiss her now?! It'd make it just like the movies!"

"Don't mind us!" Maggie quickly swooped in to put Oliver in a headlock, and drug him back into the gym with a hand over his mouth.

"They… They mean well…" Fujuju said in a quiet voice to Botan. "They're just children, and-"

Botan bent down and kissed him, just for a second. She then broke away, and resumed her walk, "Happy birthday," she said, her tone unchanging.  
"I…" he was speechless for a few moments, then cleared his throat and followed after her, still dazed.

This was one of the rare occasions where he found himself without any words.


	42. Kirere: A First Trip to Keron Pt1

M'Kay, new episode *yay*

Episode 21:  
Kirere: A First Trip to Keron  
Part 1

"And that's a straight flush," Haruki laid down the cards on the table, and Kirere nodded, studying the hand.

"What are you teaching her now, you deviant?" Rokiki snapped as he walked into the shop, and he tossed up a clipboard full of orders before climbing onto the stool he worked from.

"Poker," Kirere answered innocently, taking a few of the cards and absently building a card house, or at least making an attempt to.

"Relax, it's just poker…" Haruki smiled and shuffled the cards. "I'm not turning her into some tattooed mobster." His head shot up almost instantly after he said this, and he turned his head, unsurprised of the glare Rokiki gave him. "N-Not like that's a bad thing! Hehehe…."

"You look different," Kirere sat up on the card table and folded her legs beneath her. "…Are you wearing perfume?" she sniffed at the air, and Rokiki clenched the clipboard.

"It's cologne!" he barked back.

"Ah… You have a date, don't you?!" Haruki chuckled, and Kirere lit up. "That's two in just a few weeks! I'm starting to get jealous!"

"Do you really?! Who's it with?!" Kirere hopped off of the table and rushed over to Rokiki. "What's her name? Is she pretty?!"

"None of your business!" Rokiki answered. The Shiba Inu that laid in a corner of the garage perked up his ears, and trotted over to Rokiki. "Suzuyama! Get this mutt away from me!" he snapped as the puppy whined and pawed at Rokiki.

"Rocky!" Haruki called out to the dog, and it hurried back over to him, and took a seat at Haruki's feet.

"Why did you have to name it that?" Rokiki asked with an annoyed mutter, and tossed aside some of his filing.

"I like the name. And I like him," Haruki shrugged. All came to attention as the doorbell at the front of the shop sounded, and Rokiki and Kirere quickly hid behind the desk for cover, coming out when they both heard a familiar laugh.

"Papa? What're you doing here?" Kirere walked over to Kururu, who held in one hand a purple sweater, while the other rested in front of his usual grin.

"You forgot your sweater. I thought you'd catch a chill, kukuku!" he chuckled, and Kirere hopped forward, grabbing it and pulling it on with a sigh of compliance.

"Do you want to see what we've been working on?!" Kirere said happily, pointing back to the garage.

"I have better things to waste my time on, kukuku!" Kururu answered plainly, and turned back around to leave the shop. Before he did, however, he looked over his shoulder once more to Kirere. "By the way, you may want to pack. I'm going on business to Keron tomorrow for a week, and I'm obligated to bring you along. Kuuukuku!" the doorbell sounded again, and Kururu was gone. Rokiki shuffled some more papers, and gave a grunt.

"I see what you and her see in one another now, Suzuyama. It's hard to tell which one of you has the weirder father," Rokiki snorted.

"…To Keron….?" Kirere said in a stunned hush.

"And she'll need this… And two of these!" Giroro looked over the luggage laid out on the bed once more, while Kirere gave another moan.

"I don't need all of this, it's just for a week… Huh?" she blinked as she dug into her open duffle bag, only to pull out a grenade.

"You never know. Now let me show you how this works…" Giroro answered, taking the grenade from the young girl.

"They charge per-bag on the ride you know, kukuku!"

"You'll just have to dig in your pockets a little deeper, then," Giroro hissed, and turned his attention back to Kirere. "Now, you-" He glanced down at the grenade, and saw the pin missing, Kirere holding it.

"...That's right, isn't it?" Kirere asked, confused by Giroro's horrified expression.

He tossed the bomb out of the room, and the explosion that followed shook even the top level of the Hinata house above.

"T-Thank you again, Keroro," Giroro said with a bow of the head, and Keroro waved him off and gave a smile.

"I've become a professional in cleaning up the little disasters Kirere-chan brings along with her. I find it in some ways like a suffering artist's greatest challenge!" Keroro finished his mopping and smiled at his handiwork. "Now to take out that trash! I hope I remembered to get rid of that space broccoli that was going bad… Gero…"

"I'm ready!" Kirere called out, and rushed through the cleaned lab, her luggage in tow. She slipped on the slick floor, and went gliding on the slick floors until there was a loud crash.

"…Gero…." Keroro said in a wraspy, tired groan, and his shoulders slumped as he looked at the large pile of lab supplies that the girl had brought crashing down with her fall.

"S-Sorry…" came a muffled voice from beneath the piles.

"It's not like we're taking her for a year, kuku!" Kururu said, but Giroro kept tight hold of the young girl while they waited on the train platform for their ride.

Haruki had come out to see her off as well, and sat on the platform, cross-legged. Along with him was the rest of the platoon, and Rokiki, who continually kept his eyes on a clock on the other side of the tracks.

"What, do you have another date?" Haruki asked with a fiendish grin, and Rokiki jumped, surprised by being addressed and with this accusation.

"Find somebody else to bother!" Rokiki snapped.

"Haruki, you'll feed Rocky, right? And walk him?" Giroro broke his hold from her, and Kirere hurried over to her coworkers, looking worriedly up at Haruki. The mechanic's eye twitched a bit at the pleading look the girl gave him, and he nodded.

"Y-Yeah. Why wouldn't I-" a whistle sounded, and the train gracefully slid into the station, slowing then coming to a complete halt.

"St-Stay safe!" Giroro called out as Kirere and Kururu began to board. "D-Don't talk to strangers! Or at least shoot first, then ask what they want!"

"Come on, Red Dharma," Keroro sighed, and began to drag Giroro away from the train.

"M-Maybe it's better if I go with them…"

"Oh, be a man about it!" Rokiki snapped to him. "Is this what soldiers today are regulated to being!?"

"Don't worry, Giroro," Keroro patted Giroro on the shoulder and smiled hopefully. "Maybe Ojiisama will stop by with some fresh star fruit, and we can build some Gunpla models together! That's what I do whenever I feel down!"

"I… I don't want your pity!" Giroro growled, although the tears were evident in his eyes as the group walked away from the train station.

"I hope this doesn't end up like last time we tried to go to Keron!" Kirere gave a polite chuckle, and her feet kicked absently in front of the seat; a surefire sign her nerves were already getting to her. She gave a nervous smile, and Kururu glanced to her, and pulled out one of the earbuds from his headphones.

"Did you say something?"

"N-No… What're you listening to?" she stood, and climbed up onto the seat beside Kururu. She plugged in one of the earbuds, and listened. "….It's sort of old…"

"Tch, for you, it would be. Kukuku, this new generation has no appreciation for yesterday's classics," Kururu muttered, and passed the CD he'd been listening to. On the case was a young brown female Keronian, with bright indigo-colored eyes. She wore a matching indigo-colored cap, with a white flower in the side.

"Anono's Enka Classics?" Kirere read aloud, and frowned, pulling out the earbud and climbing back into her own seat. "I'm just going to sleep until we get there, Papa."

"Suit yourself, kuku…" Kururu stretched, and leaned back in his own seat, content with listening to the CD.

The finally landed on Keron, and Kirere was silent, taken aback at the sheer amount of other Keronians surrounding them in the station.

"Are you coming, or am I leaving you here?" Kururu turned around, seeing that Kirere had stopped walking behind him to just take this in.

"O-Oh! I'm coming!" Kirere rushed over to him, bumping into a few other Keronians along the way, and being greeted with warnings of "hey, watch it!" from most. She gave a nervous chuckle and looked back over to the glaring Keronians, then hurried along with Kururu.

The place they ended up coming to was a normal dome-shaped house, with the characters for "rental" on the front of it. Kirere dropped her bags as soon as they walked in the door, and went to investigate the furnished home.

"A hotel room wouldn't give me the space I needed to work," he explained, but it was clear Kirere wasn't listening to him. She rushed up the stairs, then back down again, and gave a laugh.

"Everything's not as big!" she exclaimed. "Hey, I can reach the kitchen counter!" she called out from the kitchen.

"Simple pleasures, simple minds, kuku…" Kururu chuckled, and Kirere stuck her head out.

"You say something?"

"No. Not at all," Kururu picked up his bag, and set it in front of the door that would serve as his bedroom. He stuck his head in the kitchen, and saw Kirere giggling happily, turning the faucet to the kitchen sink on and off, then on and off again, then repeating this while laughing happily.

"I have work to get to. I don't need someone making a lot of noise," Kururu explained, and she turned around surprised. "Go outside and get some fresh air."

"Huh? But-" Kirere began, but Kururu had already walked away from her. She heard the door of the rented home close moments later. "I… Guess I could go do something like that… I'm going!" she called out. It was to no answer. She gave a small sigh and pulled on her purple sweater on the way out, zipping it up halfway and then opening the door and greeting the Keron cityscape in front of her.

It was intimidating, and she moved along quietly, her hands in her pockets, walking down the sidewalk and looking out at the Keronians walking down the same streets, in plain view. She smiled and became hopeful at a sight she'd hoped to see-A group of Keronian girls, around her age, talking and giggling as they walked down the same street Kirere did, facing her. The group stopped, the head of them not sure what to make of the salmon pink Keronian staring back at them admiringly.

"Um… Are you lost?" asked one, placing a hand on Kirere's shoulder.

"No, I just got here!" Kirere said with a happy chirp. The girls looked worriedly at one another, and began muttering.

"Maybe we should ask her where her parents are…." whispered another one, and she looked to Kirere. "We can help you find them if you want! Don't worry!"

"Huh?" Kirere blinked, and drew her head back-The worried looks of the young Keronian girls were increasingly confusing to her, as were the quiet nods they gave one another. She lit up once more as she saw a familiar CD in the hands on one of the girls. "Chu? Hey, I like her, too!"

"Really?" the girl studied the CD, then looked back up at Kirere. "I didn't think anyone your age liked her!"

"Well," Kirere laughed and scratched the back of her head. "I guess I might be getting a little old for that sort of thing, but I still like it!"

"…No, I mean… Aren't you a little young?" answered the girl, and Kirere's smile fell.

"…What do you…?" and Kirere noticed it for the first time; even in the midst of young Keronian girls, she was significantly shorter. She took a step back, her cheeks flushed now, and she then took off running.

"W-Wait! Don't go!" called back one of the girls. "We'll find your mama, don't worry!"

But she didn't stop running; she didn't stop until she felt her side ache, and she couldn't go any further. She sat down, panting, and gulped for air, taking some time to recover from the race through the spread-out city.

She leaned against a brick wall, and then looked out at it, leaning against it with her back, and saw that she didn't recognize any of the scenery.

The sky was darkening, and she attempted to make her way home, but as she kept walking, she only felt more lost and lost. She stopped and wiped her eyes, and was finally going to allow herself to cry, when she gave a gasp; she felt a presence behind her, and spun around, relaxing as she saw it was only Kururu, standing under the same streetlight as her with one arm full of papers and folders.

"What are you doing out here in this part of town?" he asked in his usual deadpanned tone.

"M-Me? Oh! Just… Getting to know the sights of the city!" she answered with a forced laugh. "What're you doing out here?"

"Taking care… Of things. Kukuku! I have dinner at home. You eat there, or if you found somewhere else to-"

"No... I… W-What I mean is… Home would be great…" Kirere said in a quiet tone, and her eyes kept to the concrete as they walked down the streets. She glanced up at the street signs, and the business signs, and said quietly to herself in horror. "…I… I don't know what any of these say…"

"Kuku, the youth today," Kururu said with a shake of the head, and turned down the street to the home they'd rented. "I have more work to get to. You can fix food for yourself, I hope."

She answered in a small grunt as they stepped into the home, and Kururu again disappeared into his room. Kirere fixed herself some curry, then walked up the stairs into her own room.

"…The music's not very good…" she muttered in disappointment, seated in front of the television while music videos played. "…I don't really get it, either…" she added, picking up the remote and flipping through the channels. The young girl jumped as a more familiar tune beeped, one that belonged to her cell phone. She scrambled to pick it up, and smiled cheerfully at the name on the ID.

"K-Kirere! Did you make it there all right?" Giroro asked worriedly as she lifted up the phone; she could see a small image of her father on the screen, and she could see he was not alone. Gathered around the screen as well were Tamama, Dororo, Keroro, Mois, and Romama.

"Do… Have they done a lot of building there?" asked Romama quietly.  
"Kii-chi! Have you had any of the desserts yet?!" Tamama inquired with excitement.

"Ohhh and have you met any fans of us? I'm sure Kirere-chan's met a ton so far!" Keroro said with a pleasant smile.

"Back away! All of you idiots!" Giroro snapped, turning around to glare at them all. He turned back around to face her, his more calm demeanor back. "That… That fool Kururu hasn't said anything to you, has he?"

Kirere answered with a shake of the head, "No! Papa and I have… Been getting along just like we do on Pekopon!"

"And… What do you think of Keron?"

"It… It's great!" she gave a fake smile and laugh. "Everyone's so nice here!"  
"I'm glad you're having a good time… Stay safe, all right?"

"I will, don't worry about me! I love you, Dad!" Kirere said happily.

"Urk…" Giroro choked a bit; all eyes were on him, and his face reddened at the attention. "Y-Yes, same here…"

He quickly hung up after this, and Kirere laughed… This laughing quickly changed, however, until she found herself crying.

She was too busy letting out the stress from the day in the form of tears to realize her door cracked ajar. Kururu's glasses glinted in the light, and he slowly shut the door, not making a sound at all.

In the morning, she found herself alone in the home. After finding nothing on TV, she hesitantly exited the house, and walked down the streets again, as she had yesterday. She stopped and raised her head as she heard a familiar sound-Laughing. She was outside of a schoolyard, and she looked through the chain-link fence at the other children playing.  
She paused there a few moments in thought, and then rushed in to the main school building. And it wasn't long before that she stood in front of a group only mildly-interested schoolchildren, being introduced by the teacher.

"Class," the stern-looking teacher stood up, and walked over to Kirere. "We have a visitor today. You may welcome Kirere Jukurenkou to the class. She'll be watching us for a few days, to see how things are run here. Even if she's part of a famous invasion mission, I'd like you to treat her as you would any other classmate. Does anyone have any questions for her?"

One student raised his hand, and Kirere nodded, "…Why are you guys taking such a long time to invade? My Papa told me Pekopon's full of idiots, and you're all just stalling!" said the boy.

Kirere answered this with a nervous laugh, and cringing as the teacher answered this with a rolled up newspaper to the back of the boy's head.  
"You may have a seat," said the teacher calmly, and Kirere nodded, rushing to the back of the classroom and taking a seat in the very back row.

There were three other Keronians in the back row; the one furthest from her was a boy, dark blue with half-lidded, relaxed amber eyes, and a matching dark brown hat. His symbol was a darker blue sideways oval with a line in the middle of it. He looked at Kirere with a polite nod, which she exchanged.

The one closer to her left was a boy, like the first one. He looked between Kirere and his book nervously, his eyes darting back and forth. He was a light gray, with a black cap and gray, tired-colored eyes. The symbol on his stomach and hat was in the shape of two squares, side by side. These were gray as well. He had a mouth showing teeth, but his instead of a smile, we wore a nervous frown.

Kirere then shifted her eyes over to the boy to the right of her, sunk down low in his seat, a book covering his face. She leaned back, and his red eyes slowly shifted over to her, and he gave a yelp as their eyes met.

"Ronene-kun!" she cried out happily, and hugged the boy with such a force he was tackled right out of his chair.

"S-Sorry again," she sat on the steps beside him after class, and he grunted, and adjusted the ice pack atop his head. "See! I told you we'd meet up again!"

"When people say that, they don't actually mean it!" Ronene shot back.  
"Looks like you two know one another already," both looked back, and there on the steps of the school stood the self-assured-looking boy, and behind him, peeking out, the gray, nervous-looking boy. "Why didn't you tell us that this was the kid you met when you went on that dumb retreat with your dad?"

"Because I didn't want to shatter any ideas Tehaha might've had about his idols," Ronene snorted, and stood up. The gray tadpole then jutted out from behind the blue one, and shakily held out a baseball-type card and pen to Kirere.

"Could… Could you sign this…?" he asked in a squeak, and Kirere nodded, looking at the card with confusion.

"…I didn't know about these…" she said in a mutter, writing "KLL" across the card then passing it back to the excited boy.

"Tehaha's the Keroro Platoon's biggest fan. Well, he's on his way there, at least," said the blue boy, and he then stuck out his hand. "I'm Yobibi. It's… Great to meet you."

"Don't worry, I don't think you're that clumsy, e-even if they show you like that on the TV specials!" Tehaha stuttered.

"…His grandma doesn't let him out much," Ronene sighed in explanation, then pushed Kirere away from the other two. "Now, if you don't mind, she's going to go now."

"Actually," Kirere dug her feet into the ground a bit, and turned around. "Can I hang out with you guys for a bit? Ronene said if I ever stopped by we'd be able to hang out!"

"W-What?! I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

"No I-"

"Sounds fine," Yobibi shrugged, then hopped off of steps and looked back to the others.

"….All right. But don't get in the way!" Ronene warned her, and she laughed, following Yobibi. Tehaha scrambled off to follow them, and Ronene was last, picking up his backpack and trudging along behind the group darkly.

"I… I've got so many questions! You… You wouldn't mind if I just asked a couple, r-right?" Tehaha asked nervously as they walked down the path, Ronene still behind the others and Yobibi leading the way.

"No, it's all right. You guys are the nicest anyone's been to me yet, so yeah, go ahead!"

"Well… Who's taller, Dororo Heicho or Giroro Goucho? On TV, the actors are different heights, but they look about the same when they're on the news!"

"…Hrm. They're about the same," Kirere said with a nod.

"All right…. What part of Pekopon do you want when you conquer it?"

"If they conquer it," Ronene snorted.

"What part?" Kirere blinked, and looked up thoughtfully. "…Any part that has curry!"

"What's your favorite thing to build?"

"Cars," she replied with a firm nod. "Definitely cars."

"Tehaha, don't start being annoying to her…." Yobibi said sternly.

"All right," Tehaha nodded. "One more question. Do you think you're ever going to tell Tamama Nitohei… I mean…"

"Tell him what?" Kirere stopped walking, and Yobibi looked back at them, mild interest on his face. Ronene rolled his eyes and folded his arms, waiting for Tehaha to continue.

"Well, it's just been going on for so long, and everyone's been wanting to know… I mean, the club's had debates about it, too!"

"Since you like Tamama are you going to tell him!?" Ronene snapped.

Kirere's mouth twitched, and she squeaked out, after a long, long silence, "….W-What….?"

Tehaha's room was covered in Keroro platoon merchandise, but Kirere didn't pay any attention to this; instead, she kept her eyes glued to the screen, watching the scene unfold.

"They… They made me so clumsy!" she watched as he actress counterpart crashed into yet another object. She then watched in continued silence, as now the actor playing Tamama was on the screen along with the other Kirere.

"T-Tama-kun… W-What I really wanted to do was… G-Give you this!" the actress blushed, and handed to the other Tamama a red card, in the shape of a heart.

Kirere began to give a high-pitched scream of horror that was quickly silenced by the young boys; they all dove for her, covering her mouth with their hands, and all fell back onto the ground.

"Tehaha! Is everything all right?!" came the shout of an old woman from downstairs.

"Y-Yes, Granny! Ronene stubbed his toe, is all!" Tehaha answered, and then the three boys let go of Kirere.

"I… I didn't okay that!" Kirere yelped. "I… I've gotta get back to Papa! He'll make this right!"

"You mean Giroro Goucho's here, too?!" Tehaha's eyes lit up, and he hopped to his feet. "C-Could I maybe meet him?!"

"No, he's my Dad. My Papa's Kuru-" she stopped abruptly, and shot her head up. She faced three very interested faces suddenly. Kirere took a step back, and gave a nervous giggle. "Um, w-well…"


	43. Kirere: A First Trip to Keron Pt2

Math exam in the morning.

UGH.

.

Anyway, please enjoy this :) I felt like this chapter went a little quick, too, but I think it's just because I had a lot to put in without it getting too too long. I'm working on my spacing though, I promise.

...Got my next chapter planned out, but wondering if I should try to attempt a Christmas special this year, too : Hrm. Things to think about.

Episode 21  
Kirere: A First Trip to Keron  
Part 2

"You mean they've introduced new characters, when we've been getting filler here for a year?!" Tehaha snapped in angry disbelief.

"…She tells you about being part of a top-secret science project, being friends with an ancient platoon, and that's what surprises you?" Ronene snorted. "…Guess you're a bigger weirdo than we thought, Shrimpy."

"You should get along with us great!" Yobibi said with a relaxed laugh. "We're all weirdos!"

"What do you mean?" Kirere blinked, then jumped-There came the voice of the old woman again.

"Tehaha! I need help finding the remote!"

"C-Coming, Granny!" Tehaha called back out.

"I'm going to give him a hand… You need more than one person helping with those sorts of things," Yobibi stood and walked out of the room. "We'll be back."

"Great. I get stuck babysitting," Ronene grumbled and shut his eyes, opening one and examining Kirere's sweater. "…There's a tear in the arm of your sweater."

"Huh? Oh! I must've gotten that while running yesterday!"

"Here…" Ronene reached up from beneath his hat and pulled out a small sewing kit. "I'll fix it if you want."

"You fix things, too!" Kirere said brightly, and pulled off her sweater, watching in awe as Ronene went to work. "So you like sewing, too? Just not gardening?"

Ronene blushed, and his frown deepened, "D-Don't say it like that! But… Yeah, I do…"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"…Not everyone gets immediately accepted for their hobbies. Not everyone gets to make a job out of it," Ronene said with a cold glance up at Kirere briefly. "…Yobibi's right, we're all weirdos. Tehaha's a neurotic coward who's babied by his grandma and is a total mega-fan…. Yobibi lives with his mom, who doesn't have a great reputation… And me, I… Why am I telling you this, anyway?!"

"You what?" Kirere ignored this last part, staring up at Ronene intently.

"I… I want to be a dressmaker when I grow up…" he admitted quietly. Kirere gave a giggle at this, and he looked up at her, angry, "I like lots of boy things, too! I like wrestling! And sports! I just… Have fun doing this, too…"

"I'm like that! Lots of people think I'm weird because I like working in junkyards all day! At least your Dad-"

"He hates it," Ronene snapped. "…Here, finished." He tossed the sweater back to her, and she zipped it up, while glancing at him sympathetically.

"….I think you'll be a really good dressmaker one day," Kirere said quietly, "…You know, my best friend did something his dad didn't like a whole lot, either… But he's happy. Maybe you can be like that, too."

"Keep dreaming, Shrimpy," Ronene sighed and stood as Yobibi and Tehaha walked into the room once more.

"Granny had it in the back yard again!" Tehaha said with an embarrassed smile.

"So, now that you're part of the weirdos club, and you're visiting, is there anything you want to do, Kirere-chan?" Yobibi asked, and placed his hands on his hips awaiting her answer.

"I want to see some more around here!" Kirere replied cheerfully, and Yobibi nodded.

"Then that's what we're gonna do," Yobibi nodded, and they filed out of the home, and onto the street.

"And this is the park…" Yobibi pointed to the gated in park, and Kirere nodded, and noted decorations being put up around a stage area.

"They're getting ready for a talent show at the end of the week," Ronene explained. "…We keep telling this fool to enter, but he's stubborn as ever about it," he added, nudging Yobibi.

"What do you do, Yobibi-kun?" Kirere asked, out to the stage, then back to him.

"…I just sing a little bit… It's nothing big. I'm no good, anyway," Yobibi answered, and Tehaha was quick to jump in.

"Yobibi's Mama was a famous singer!" said Tehaha, and Yobibi's smile slowly fell. "She was a big pop singer a while back!"

"Really?! I know one of those! What was her name?!"

"It's no big deal…" Yobibi said with a shake of the head.

"Yobibi!" the group stopped, and Kirere's eyes widened-She looked a bit older, and was missing her tail and the mainly-white face, but it was definitely Anono who rushed toward them, waving. "I thought I'd find you over here! You made a new friend, that's great! So did you come to try out!? That'd be great! I-"

"I'm not," Yobibi said firmly. "Mama… Would you… Mind letting us be? People are staring."

"Huh? O-Oh, I'm sorry," she bowed lightly and smiled apologetically to the group. "I've got to finish up helping here, then I'll finish up the errands! Be home for dinner, Yobibi!" she waved them off then walked away from them, and Kirere couldn't help but notice the quiet embarrassment Yobibi wore. A few people working to build the stage whispered among one another, looking in Yobibi's direction as they did so.

"C-Come on, let's go," Ronene took Yobibi by the arm, and led him away. Tehaha and Kirere followed unsurely behind them.

"…His Dad was a really great soldier," Ronene started, and tossed another stone onto the lake. Kirere sat cross-legged at the edge of the same lake, while Tehaha gave a sneeze and flipped another page from his comic idly. Yobibi was a bit further off, away from them, looking out at the lake ahead. "…He was a lot younger than his mom, but they fell in love… She gave up singing, he gave up his career in the military. Just so they could get married."

"What happened then?" Kirere asked quietly, and Ronene tossed out another rock; this one sunk directly down into the water, instead of skipping across as it should have.

" Everyone got mad at both of them… His dad couldn't take it, and left," Ronene replied. "…Yobibi doesn't talk about it that much. We've only talked about it once. Everyone blames his mom for his dad leaving. It's toned done a lot since then, but… Some people still won't talk to her, or to Yobibi."

"They said he would've been another Romama Shosa!" Tehaha chimed in.  
Kirere looked out at the lake, "No… Romama-kun wouldn't have left. He went all over the world just to find the person he loved."

"…You okay, Shrimpy?"

"Mm, I just… I guess I'm a little homesick, is all!" Kirere admitted with a chuckle. "The last time I was away this long from everyone, I was visiting Ojiisama!"

"I heard Garuru Chui's tough," Ronene looked over to Kirere for confirmation of this.

"I heard once that he stopped an entire army, just by glaring at them!" Tehaha added excitedly.

"Kire… I-I don't know about that…. But I have a friend on his platoon who might really like you guys!"

"Really?" Tehaha's eyes opened widely with hope, and Kirere nodded, and attempted throw out a rock onto the lake herself. It sunk like a rock, accordingly.

"Yeah. His name's Tororo-kun."

At this moment, a galaxy away, Tororo felt a sudden chill of dread come out of nowhere and wash over him. Something wasn't quite right with the world.

And in the galaxy where Keron was located, Yobibi re-joined the group, his calm smile now back on his face.

"S-Sorry about that… I just wasn't expecting to see my Mama there, is all. I forgot she's volunteering," Yobibi answered with a chuckle. "So what do you guys want to do next?"

"I know!" Kirere chirped. "We could build a fort!"

"Like the Keroro Platoon! Here, I've got the comic they covered it in… Origin Special number three!"

"…What are you two, five?" Ronene snorted. "Forts are for little babies. We-"

"Sounds fun," Yobibi shrugged. "We'll build it in my backyard."

Ronene balked at this, and Kirere piped up, "Maybe Ronene-kun could decorate it when we're done." Ronene's face turned bright red, and he looked over, wide-eyed and horrified at what Kirere had said.

Yobibi only kept the calm look on this face, "Sounds good. Ronene's the best at that sort of thing, anyway."

"R-Really…?" Ronene stuttered with surprise.

"You don't want to do it?" Yobibi asked with a frown, and Ronene's eyes went wide.

"N-No, I'd like that! I'd like that a lot!"

"Good. We'll build it tomorrow morning," Yobibi nodded. "There's a junkyard not too far from my house, maybe we can find something there…"

"Eh?" Kirere turned her head at the sound of a chiming bell, and gasped. "I have to get home!"

"We'll see you home, I… Wanted to meet Kururu Soucho if that's all right, anyway…" Tehaha said hopefully.

"I'm just up the street, I'll be all right!" Kirere said happily, and waved them off.

"B-But…" Tehaha's voice trailed off as she hurried off to her home, and both Yobibi and Ronene laid a hand on either of his shoulders.

"Another time," they both said with a sigh.

And Kirere rushed home, nearly knocking down Kururu as she walked in. She instead only knocked out a bit of filing from his hands, and it went flying everywhere in the main room.

"Looks like you just got in, too, kuku…" Kururu began to pick up the papers, and Kirere attempted to help him, stopping as she came upon a photograph of herself, paperclipped to a small stack of intricate and complicated-looking formulas.

"What am I doing here?" she asked, and Kururu only took the papers from her gently, and laughed.

"You like asking that a lot, kuku!" he answered, and wandered off.

"Hey, do you want to know about my day?!" Kirere called out. The sound of the door closing was her only answer. "Okay! I'll tell you later!" she said with the same happy tone in her voice.

"And then…. Kirere-chan, you might want that a little more to the right!" Tehaha called out, and Kirere nodded accordingly, moving the wooden plank over and letting it rest against a tree. They had spread out throughout the week they'd been building the fortress in the backyard a mass of junk, which was slowly coming together to form the shed-liked fort.

Yobibi and Kirere did a majority of the building, while Tehaha sat away from the fort, giving them directions on where to build. Ronene sat next to him, a small sewing machine set atop a rock, and the boy working on it, pulling out fabrics from an old box marked "donations" to form curtains. He looked up at a panel, and nodded, pleased with his craftsmanship.

"And we'll have a small garden in the back, for Ronene-kun… And we can get some electricity going in here, so you'll be able to listen to your music!" Kirere rushed back to the pile as she spoke to Yobibi, and together the two put together the last wall of the fort, and she held it up as Yobibi nailed it in.

"…I don't really like music all that much…" Yobibi admitted.

"But… I thought you just didn't like your Mom's…." Tehaha said with a confused frown. Yobibi only stopped a moment, looking downward sadly, and Ronene heaved a sigh.

"One day you won't be so socially awkward, Tehaha. At least I hope…." Ronene sighed.

"There, that's the last of them," Yobibi pounded a few more nails into the corner, and both he and Kirere stood back. "…Not too bad!"

"It's great! I… I think it's even better than the one in the comic!" Tehaha hopped up to inspect, and Ronene moved past them all, his arms full of fabric.

"Come back in an hour," he instructed them, and shut the door behind them, leaving the other three outside of the fort.

"…I think we were kicked out before we could get in…" Tehaha said quietly.

"…Come on, we'll show you around more. I don't want to disrupt him while he's being creative," Yobibi said to them, and Kirere nodded, following the two boys along as they walked away from Yobibi's house, and back in the direction of the park.

"So are you liking it here so far?" Tehaha looked up from his comic to Kirere, and she smiled back at him.

"I still like Pekopon more, but… This place really isn't so bad!"

"Are you going to go to our school full time once the Keroro Platoon finishes their mission?!" Tehaha asked excitedly, and Kirere's smile fell. Tehaha only continued on, "That'd be neat! Then I could meet all of your platoon members. I-"

"Tehaha," Yobibi said firmly. The gray boy glanced at Kirere, and immediately clammed up.

"S-Sorry… I guess I do have a big mouth, after all…"

"It's all right," Kirere looked up to them. "I just… Don't like to think about leaving Pekopon anytime soon, is all."

"Right! Because… That'd mean that the show would have to end!" Tehaha nodded affirmingly. Kirere gave a nervous chuckle, and Yobibi rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Papa! Hey!" she brightened as she saw Kururu entering a large building; he either didn't see her waving, or ignored it, per usual.

"That… That was really Kururu Soucho!" Tehaha said, his eyes wide. "…My life feels a little more complete…."

"Does he always blow you off like that?" Yobibi wondered aloud.

"That's just how Papa is," Kirere answered.

"…Seems kinda cold…" Yobibi continued.

"It's just a different kind of relationship. Kinda like with you and your Mama, Yobibi-kun! It's not always the best, but… I know Papa loves me deep down!"

"I… Yeah… I guess…" Yobibi's voice fell. "…I have something to do. I'll see you guys later!"

Before he could say anything more, he rushed away from them, leaving Tehaha and Kirere together.

"We should go see if Ronene-kun is finished!" Kirere said excitedly. "Come on, let's go!"

"But… I… C-Couldn't we wait for him to-" Tehaha pointed to the building, but this was in vain; Kirere was already running back toward the fort.

"Tch," was Kururu's answer as he looked down at the scene from an office window. The hall he stood in was long, and he was one of the only Keronians in the hallway. In his hands there was only one piece of paper, this a photograph of Kirere. It was a little worn, and it was a picture of the girl sticking her tongue out and winking at the camera. The rest of the paperwork, which he'd spent a week slaving over, he'd left at the home.

He hid the photograph as the large doors at the end of the hall opened, and out popped the head of a receptionist.

"Kururu Soucho… They'll see you now," she said quietly, and he shuffled over to the cracked open door, stepping in and finding himself standing in front of a row of shadowed Keronians. Kururu didn't hesitate to look upward to them, and they looked back down at him-Cold and unblinking.

"Kururu Soucho," the figure in the middle spoke, and Kururu looked up, one hand to his mouth, and his ever-present smile on his face. "You were summoned here alone to hand over any and all progress for the assignment you were given two years ago."

"Kuku, well, it was only over a year on Pekopon," Kururu corrected.

"The information," the Keronian in charge repeated, his voice unwavering.

"Kuku… What would be done with it, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Any information, prototypes, and successful results of the Super Soldier experiments which you were to handle would be taken by the Keron government, and handed over to scientists for examination and possibly replication, if your findings have been successful enough."

"So you'll dissect anything I put together during the project, is what you're saying, kukuku!"

"…That's a crude way of putting it, but we'll be reworking any of your inventions and creations to help with further invasions," answered the leader.

Kururu chuckled, and turned around, "I don't have anything."

"W-What?"

"Kuku, I haven't been able to figure it out," Kururu answered. "I don't have anything for you. Maybe it's too much, even for a mind like mine."

" What have you been doing then, Kururu Soucho?" the Keronian asked, the anger apparent in his voice.

Kururu turned around, and his glasses glinted in the overhead light, "Helping with the invasion of course, kuku! That and catching up on my reading… Some particularly interesting articles about the Sankaku tribe, kuuukukuku! A lost tribe, from Keron… Most recognizable by facial tattoos they wore. It's a good read."

"….We're familiar with them," the leader answered, his voice calmer now.

"I'll try to have something next time… But a success if proving difficult so far," Kururu walked away from them, and looked back once more to the group. "It'd probably be best abandoned."

He then closed the door behind him, and the leader closed his eyes.

"…How did he know about that tribe…?" asked one of the other Keronians, and the leader opened his eyes.

"…Now you see why we keep him on our side," the leader answered.

Kururu, walking out of the building, paused for a moment, taking out the picture of Kirere once more, "Kuku… No successes, but they didn't ask about failures…" he had a laugh to himself, and then continued walking.

"All right, come in!" Ronene called out, and both Kirere and Tehaha walked into the fort, their eyes open wide with awe.

"…Ronene-kun, this is… Really pretty!" Kirere said as she looked around the well-decorated fort. Ronene's face flushed red, and he grit his teeth.

"Don't call it pretty!" he snapped with annoyance. "It's modernist!" Tehaha chuckled, and fell back into a beanbag chair. The fort was small, but big enough for the Keronian tadpoles.

"Wait until Yobibi-kun sees this! Oh?" Kirere looked out the window, then opened the door; there stood Yobibi's mother, a black guitar case strapped to her back.

"Oh! Yobibi isn't here? I was just coming to see if you all wanted to come to the show!" Anono said with a cheerful smile to the children.

"Are you going to be performing?" Ronene asked, and she patted her guitar case.

"Sort of. I'm going to be in the background band, for help!" she answered. "You're welcome to come watch!"

So the three followed Anono to the talent show, where other Keronians had already taken their seats on blankets on the ground. Kirere jerked her head back, puzzled at the sight of Kururu on one of the blankets, their luggage behind him.

"I like watching bad entertainment, kuku!" Kururu explained as Kirere and the others walked over to him. Tehaha bowed deeply at the sight of Kururu, and spoke in a stutter.

"K-Kururu-san, it would mean the world to me if I could be the target of one of your world-famous insults!"

"I-I made some new friends…" Kirere laughed, and Ronene grumbled, and took a seat on the blanket beside Kururu. The band walked out, including Anono, and even Kururu for a moment looked mildly surprised by this.

"…You have a celebrity crush on her, don't you, you loser?" Ronene said slyly to Kururu, and the yellow scientist looked over to Ronene, a smile on his face.

"Think you could sew up enough curtains for a lab, kukuku?" Ronene flushed, and stuttered, not able to come out with a decent answer. He instead was silent, waiting for the show to begin. When the show did start, the children and Anono were surprised by the first act-Yobibi walked out onto stage and looked to his mother, giving her a smile. Anono returned this, and began to play, along with the rest of the band.

"So the torch is passed, kukuku!" Kururu said as Yobibi began to sing.

"Wow… He's really good, isn't he?" Kirere said quietly.

"No. He's great…" Ronene added, and Kirere glanced over to Ronene, puzzled by the expression on the boy's face.

"Ronene-kun… Do you-"

"Shush. Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to talk during a performance, Shrimpy?"

The song finished, and the audience was silent. It slowly started, then the clapping grew louder and louder. Yobibi smiled, and Anono walked over to him, placing an arm over his shoulders.

"What changed your mind?" she asked quietly.

"Just… A friend," Yobibi answered, looking out onto the crowd.

"And don't be afraid to visit whenever you want!" Kirere stood at the train station with her three new friends. "Maybe Tororo-kun can come by next time, too! You all would get along great!"

"She's lying. Don't come by. Kukuku!"

"Soucho, here," Anono held out a CD to Kururu, and he took it, examining it.

"What's this for?"

"I heard you were a fan," she answered.

"Tch…" he turned from them, and went to board the train. "I'll leave without you, kuku!"

"T-That's just his way of saying thank you…" Kirere reassured them. "I'll see you guys later!"

"Yeah… Have a good trip, Shrimpy… And warn us before you drop in, next time!" Ronene snapped. She laughed, and boarded the train, waving from her window as it slid out of the station.

"…I'm going to have so much material for a new fan comic!" Tehaha said happily as he still waved. Both of the other boys groaned and began to walk off without him, leaving the little fanboy puzzled as he rushed to keep up with them.

Giroro rubbed the gun he held with a restlessness that was apparently. He pulled away the cloth from his gun, and gasped with dismay-The polish was wearing off of it. He tossed it aside, and went to grab another, then stopped. Instead he quickly turned around, and flipped the being that had crept up behind him. Kirere gave a giggle from her place on the ground, and sat up, rubbing the back of her head.

"I'm getting closer!" she smiled, crossing her legs and looking up at Giroro.

"K-Kirere! Did… Did you have a good time!?" he grabbed another gun, and tried to remain calm as he awaited her answer.

"It was great! I made a bunch of new friends," she answered, and stood up. "I've got to call them and tell them I made it all right! I promised I would!"

"Hehe… Well, it's good for you to sometimes mingle with girls of your own age. I'm glad."

"Eh? No, they're all boys!" she answered, then rushed into the house.

"All boys… Hehe… Gi-Giro!?" he whipped his head around toward where she had gone, but instead was greeted by Kururu's familiar grin. This took him back enough to where he fell off of where he had been seated.

"Kuku… Good to see you, too, Senpai," Kururu said with a grin.

"W-What do you want, you pest?"

"Kuku… A favor."

"What?" Giroro opened his eyes, and looked to Kururu. Kururu pulled out behind him a thick folder.

"I'd like this destroyed."

"What? What is it?"

"Reassurance that she'll be safe. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Senpai?"

Giroro took the folder, studied it over, then tossed it into the bonfire, "…I hope you're not dragging me into anything illegal, Kururu. Or risking her life."

"Kuku, do I look like a man who takes chances?" Kururu shuffled down to his lab, while the files slowly burnt to ashes in Giroro's bonfire. Kirere's door was ajar as he walked past it. He stopped for a moment, looking in ever so slightly, and could see her laid on her bed, talking on her phone to who he presumed to be one of her friends.

He watched this for a few moments more, then continued walking down to the his usual seat in the lab.


	44. Dororo and Lupapa: We're On the Run! Pt1

Praise the lord and don't forget to pass the biscuits, I'm out for the semester!

In other news, new chapter XD A little short ^_^'' Sorry 'bout that. Still, I'm happy with how it turned out! Please enjoy, as always! :)

Episode 22  
Dororo and Lupapa: We're On the Run!  
Part 1

"Auntie? Auntie! You're reading!?" Marco's shaggy head of unruly hair poked up from the side of the platform Lupapa called home, and the purple Keronian looked up from the thick book as she heard herself addressed. "I didn't even know you liked reading!"

"…I don't, really," Lupapa closed the book and rubbed her eyes. "It gives me headaches. I'm trying to learn another new language… And it isn't coming along easily…. It's been years since I've had to do any studying out of a book."

"Eh? Oh! The one Mr. Boyfriend writes in?"

Lupapa sighed, "The written language barrier is still difficult for us… He writes ancient Keronian, but I decided it'd be even easier if I learned a modern language… Besides, his handwriting's awful in that language… And don't call him Mr. Boyfriend, Marco…"

"Mr. Uncle then, maybe?" Marco said hopefully, and Lupapa groaned, and stood. "Oh! Auntie! Anita's all better now! Whatever you brought by… She was fine the next day!"

"That's good… It was difficult getting those ingredients, so I'm glad they worked," Lupapa looked out the corner of her good eye to him, and Marco slipped off the small backpack he'd had on, and pulled out a bundle wrapped in banana leaves.

"Her Mama wanted you to have this! She made you some fresh bread," Marco held it out to Lupapa, and she took it, set it aside in one of the covered areas of her home, then went toward an empty leather backpack she had hanging up. Marco immediately lit up as she reached for the bag.  
"Auntie, Are you going to work?! I want to go, too!"

"Not tonight… The loggers have been getting braver lately. I don't want you hurt, understand? Go home to your mother, Marco," Lupapa directed him, and he groaned and tilted his head back.

"Eh? Auntie? Are you…. Expecting anyone?..." the boy asked, his head still tilted back and looking upward.

"No. Why?" Lupapa frowned, then jerked forward at the sudden gust of wind; she looked upward where Marco looked, and saw above them an old, beaten-looking space cruiser. Lupapa's eyes widened, and she ran for her backpack, picking it up, along with her staff, then motioning for Marco to follow her. The purple Keronian slid down to the jungle floor, Marco not far behind her. Then both took off running.

"Auntie! What… What is that?!"

"They found me out… Damn it…" Lupapa cursed beneath her breath. "Marco, I… I want you to go home… Don't worry about me… Just tell your mother… I'm with Dororo!" she called out, and disappeared into the trees.

Marco looked up at the trees, and saw them rustle, but saw no Lupapa. The spaceship zoomed over him, knocking him down and disrupting the birds that sat in the trees. He stood, stunned, as the noise from the space cruiser became fainter and fainter, until it was drowned out by the noises of the jungle.

"And just a few more days until that wonderful day!" Keroro chirped, and marked his birthday off on the calendar with a large circle.

"But Natsumi's birthday has already passed," said Giroro from behind him, and Keroro's shoulders slumped.

"Fuyuki! Come on! We'll be late!" the corporal yelped as Natsumi nearly ran him down in an attempt to rush to the front door, and she gasped as she looked out the window. "Snow?! Already!? I'll need a thicker jacket!"

She nearly ran over Giroro again as she rushed back up the stairs, and the Corporal found himself spinning from the back and forth.

"Teicho-dono!" Dororo appeared from out of one of the secret entry spots he had in the Hinata household; this one a potted plant. "I'm afraid I won't be able to make today's meeting."

"Meeting?" Keroro repeated, and frowned; his brain scanned for any memory of a meeting. "Gero! Oh, that's all right. We had it already."

"W-What?"

"Well, everyone was there, so we thought we'd get it out of the way early," Keroro folded up the small step-ladder he'd used to climb up to reach the calendar, then walked away from both Giroro and the stunned Dororo. "…Ah, what a beautiful, crystal Pekoponian day it is. Better than a hundred gold coins. No, a thousand!"

"T-Teicho-dono…."

"Heh. It's better you weren't there. We didn't get that much done, honestly," Giroro answered, and walked away from Dororo.

"I… Suppose I'll just go enjoy the snow, then…" Dororo said quietly. He stepped out of the way instinctively as Natsumi hurried down the stairs and to the front door once more, but Giroro wasn't so lucky. The redhead trampled him before he could get out of her path, and Fuyuki wasn't long afterward.

"…It just isn't your month, is it, Red Dharma? Maybe more luck in the next life…" Keroro sighed as Giroro struggled to stand up.

"Stupid Frog!" Natsumi stuck her head back out after slamming the door behind her moments before. "Shovel the driveway while we're gone!"

The door slammed again, and Keroro gave a growl, "Why me?! Keronians aren't made for the snow! That will be the death of me! Eh? Say… Dororo could move it with one of his ninja tricks, couldn't he? Gerogergeroge… Dororo~! Would you-"

Keroro turned around, and the Lance Corporal was gone, the only sign of him even having been there the glass door slightly ajar.

"Serves you right…" Giroro grumbled, then gave a grunt as his back popped while he struggled to stand up again.

Romama watched the ballet dancers from his own corner, bundled down in heavy jackets. He started to move toward Aya as she began to slip up, but relaxed and sat back as she corrected herself. He caught a shadow covering one of the windows, and looked up. Dororo smiled, and held up a neatly wrapped bundle.

The class was taking a break, while Romama was doing the same on the roof of a neighboring building, sipping tea and occasionally looking over into the ballet studio, to make sure Aya was all right.

"What would your take on it be, Romama-dono?" Dororo poured himself more tea, and took a sip. There was a small electric heater between the two, and atop it, a tea kettle. Aside from this there was some cut up melon in a bento box.

Romama took a bite of one of the melon slices, and thought for a moment.  
"He's just an idiot. It's something to get used to. I did-quickly," Romama answered plainly.

"It's… True that Keroro-kun would never do anything cruel on purpose, but it still wears heavily on my soul."

"You should try being related to him," Romama countered.

"I suppose that could be stressful as well… Eh? Koyuki-dono? Shouldn't you be in class with Natsumi-dono? Is something the matter?" Dororo stood immediately as his fellow ninja jumped onto the roof. Romama didn't stand, but only glanced upward at Koyuki; immediately he could tell something was off, from the worried expression that replaced her normally cheerful one.

"Here, Lupapa-dono. This will help," Dororo handed her a small ceramic glass of tea, and the purple Keronian, who now looked more indigo from the trek in the cold and snow to Dororo's home, took it, shaking. She sipped it, and Dororo went to putting more wood on the fire. She sat close to the flames, bundled up in heavy blankets. She finished her tea, then sneezed.

"As beautiful as nature is, the weather isn't without its cruelty," Dororo said lightly. Lupapa looked to him, and gave a small, weak smile.

"You can protect the snow; I'll stay protecting the rain forest…. If I can ever go back there, that is," Lupapa said quietly.

"Lupapa-dono… What's happened?"

Lupapa tilted her head down, and Dororo took a seat beside her.

"I suppose it's only fair I tell you, after I told your friend. I… I broke my promise…. I… Stole from someone none-deserving of it… But it was for a just cause," she looked up at him, then stared back down at the ground; she couldn't look at him for more than a few moments. "There was a Pekoponian girl in my village, she was ill, and she wouldn't have made it without medicine…. The Pekoponian forms were all hard to come by, but I knew a remedy from Keron. I went to an alien market, and… They were just too expensive. I had to take it. The shop owners must have seen me, and it would've been easy to track me back home… I was so careless!"

"Lupapa-dono… What you did does not make you a bad person."

"….Even so, now I have police on my tail," Lupapa stood, and turned to him. "You may not see me for a while. At least until this blows over. Could you check up on Marco and my family whenever you get time, Dororo?"

"That won't be necessary," Dororo also stood, and clenched a fist. "We'll get this straightened out, Lupapa-dono. Your intentions were just and kind-hearted. I can't turn my head and allow you to be punished for such."

"…Dororo…" Lupapa blinked, stunned. She leaned in, toward him, but both jumped back as the door to the traditional-style home opened. Both quickly whipped their heads over to Koyuki, both their faces bright red.

"Hehe, I didn't disrupt anything, did I?" Koyuki winked and grinned.

"N-No…" Dororo stuttered. "Koyuki-dono, I thought you went to finish classes!"

"I wanted to make sure Lupapa-san was all right," Koyuki answered, and sat down on the floor kneeling to face them. "After finding her passed out in the snow like that, I was worried she might not be."

"I'm afraid things are grave right now, Koyuki-dono," Dororo replied.

"Well, whatever you need to do, I'll help out, however I can. You have my word as a ninja!" Koyuki said enthusiastically.

"Hopefully Marco didn't try to hold them off…" Lupapa glanced away. "…They could be on their way here already. I've got to hurry. I don't want the two of you in danger as well."

She hopped up, and began to climb out of the window, when Koyuki called for her to stop.

"Dororo, you should go with her," Koyuki looked to the blue ninja, and he in turn looked at Koyuki with shock.

"Ko-Koyuki-dono! I couldn't-"

"I'll be fine," Koyuki answered, and hopped up, rushing across the room and pulling out a few small strips of paper. "Use these to summon me if you run into trouble. No matter where you are, I'll find you!"

Lupapa looked away, and tilted her head downward, silent at the exchange between the two ninja friends.

"Koyuki-dono… I… Don't think you understand. If this is serious enough, it could be some time. This isn't a simple day-trip we're embarking on…. This could be for days, weeks… Perhaps more if the search is serious enough."

"Then I'll wait. One of a ninja's greatest abilities is patience, after all!"  
Lupapa shot her head up, toward the sound, now familiar to her. This was followed by a strong rustling of the bare branches in the trees, and a shadow appearing and slowly growing larger and larger over the snow-covered forest.

"It's here!" Lupapa called out with panic. Dororo took up his sword and the paper Koyuki had given him, and rushed to the window; Lupapa was the first to bolt out, and Dororo began to climb out of the window, looking back over his shoulder to Koyuki once more. She smiled and waved, and then he exited the home.

Koyuki was silent for a moment, then tilted her head downward. When she looked back up, she wore he blue mask. She smiled, pulled out a ninja star, and was gone from the room in a flash, presumably to fight off the ship.

"W-What?! He left?! J-just like that?!" Keroro's jaw dropped at this news. The other Keronians, aside from Kururu, who kept his usual, unmoving grin, gave stunned expressions at the news. Natsumi looked worriedly at Koyuki, who she sat beside in the living room. Across from them sat Fuyuki and Mois.

"Could you say, totally AWOL?" Mois chimed in.

"This isn't good… This isn't good at all…" Keroro said with a shake of the head. "…There's going to be so much paperwork to go through to try to explain this…."

Giroro growled, and answered this with a heavy blow to the back of Keroro's head with his fist, "Idiot! That's the first thing you think about?!"

Kirere stood there, shaking, then swiftly turned away from the group, and rushed away from them, back toward her room.

"K-Kirere!" Giroro called out, then looked to the group, and gave and apologetic sigh. "…She's young, still. She doesn't always understand." He gave another small sigh, and walked away in the direction of Kirere.

"Did Dororo Heicho-san say when he'd be back?" Tamama asked, and Koyuki only shook her head.

"Well, it'll probably be until things quiet down, and they can get things straightened out between the shop owners and Lupapa Goucho," Fuyuki suggested.

"Lupapa isn't supposed to exist, remember? If they find out who she is, the whole platoon's cover will be blown," Natsumi corrected him. "No wonder she's worried, I would be, too. It'd be trouble for everyone-Even for your platoon, Stupid Frog."

"And now Dororo is her accomplice in crime… Gero, what oh what to tell his mother…"

"You're not saying anything until we get this straightened out," Natsumi snapped, lifting Keroro up by the head and glaring at him. "We have enough trouble on our hands without having alien police at our door again!"

"I fought the ship off that was after Lupapa-san while she and Dororo escaped… Koyuki pulled out a piece of scrap metal from her kimono, and there was a cut-away serial number on the metal. "I thought this might be handy. This came off during the fight."

"Kuku… May I?" Kururu held out his hand, and Koyuki handed it off to him. "…Very interesting… Kuku!" he chuckled, then walked away from the group.

"Koyuki-chan… Are you all right?" Natsumi looked over to the ninja girl directly for the first time, and saw her eyes a bit glassed over. Koyuki blinked a few times, wiped her eyes, and smiled to reassure Natsumi, but anyone could see the smile was forced.

"I'm just fine, don't worry. They'll be home soon, I'm sure of it," Koyuki answered.

"Eh… May I have another blanket?" the blue Keronian asked the trainer attendant, and she looked down at him, curious. "…It's for… My wife. She doesn't do well with cold."

The attendant nodded, passing him another blanket, and Dororo dutifully walked back, taking a seat beside another Keronian, and passing her the blanket.

This Keronian looked like Lupapa, save for the symbols, which were now four-pointed stars instead of the yen shape Lupapa wore. She looked down at the passport, scrutinizing it, and immediately shutting it as she heard Dororo. She relaxed as she realized it was only him, and gratefully wrapped herself in the blanket.

"…I didn't know you were so skilled with passports, Lupapa-dono," Dororo said, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"It isn't hard, really, you…" she stopped as she read his concerned expression, then put away the passport quietly. "Unfortunately I had to learn a lot of things like that…. I'm sorry again. For all of this."

"Koyuki-dono is very understanding. She'll look after Marco-dono as well," Dororo reassured Lupapa with a cheerful expression, and she herself gave her own small, calm smile. "Keron is a large planet. Until things settle down, it will be an ideal hiding spot. Plus Mama will love to see you again."

"I'm coming unannounced into her home… It's just one trouble after another with me for you, isn't it?"

"It isn't, Lupapa-dono. I-Eh?" both turned their attention as they saw they weren't alone. A small set of wide eyes looked upward at them curiously. The green Axolotl tot sucked on its thumb as it looked at the two Keronians curiously, and Dororo and Lupapa both smiled back down at the child, until its mother apologetically entered, lifting him up and carrying back to his own seat.

"…He's adorable," Lupapa looked at the baby with a smile, and Dororo glanced over at the child, feeling his own nervousness grow as he noted the expression on Lupapa's face as she watched the child wave its arms impatiently to get its mother's attention.

The child gave a scream, and Lupapa didn't flinch at this. Dororo, however, did, slightly.

"I enjoyed my younger brothers and sisters when they were that age," Lupapa continued. "…My mother used to say I was like another little mother to them…"

"I think it's a little early to be talking about children, d-don't you think?" Dororo said in a small choke.

Lupapa turned her head to him, "What?"

"It's nothing, Lupapa-dono. I'm going to get some hot drinks for us," he bolted from his seat, then began to walk back again to the attendant. He stopped and his eyes widened as he saw the same attendant talking to another alien; it was officer Ponyon. She held out a photo to the attendant, and the attendant nodded, and pointed. Dororo slowly backed away, then turned and rushed back to where he and Lupapa sat.

"Lupapa-dono, we must leave! Right away!" he said in a whisper, and she shot to attention. She looked behind her, then quickly looked forward once again at the sight of Ponyon.

"…I have an idea," she said quietly, and bent down, picking up her backpack and staff. Dororo took up his sword and awaited her next move.

The Axolotl baby cried and struggled in its mother's arms, and the mother tried to comfort the baby until the attendant walked down, her covered cart in front of her.

"Does he need something?" the attendant asked, and the mother shook her head.

"I'm not sure what set him off…"

"Oh?" the attendant reached down, and picked up a jade-colored stone orb. "Is this his?"

The mother shook her head, while the baby reached out for it. The attendant shrugged this off, and set the mysterious object back on the top of the cart, then rolled back down, to the other exit.

"Let me know if you see this person, all right, ponyon?" could be heard from Lupapa and Dororo's spot hidden behind the white cloth of the cart. "It's of the highest importance, ponyon!"

The attendant gave a noise of understanding, and both listened as Ponyon left the cabin. Dororo peered out from underneath the cloth and watched as the attendant left for the other side of the cabin, and Lupapa reached up, taking the green orb and re-attaching it to her hat, then taking up her luggage and pulling Dororo along to the other cabin, which was a storage cabin.

"….If we were closer to Keron, it would have been possible to make our own way there," Dororo looked out at the window, and Lupapa took a seat on one of the crates, and tilted her head down. "…Lupapa-dono?"

"I'm so… So sorry," she said in a shaking voice. "I never meant for you to get drug into this…. I'm sorry, Dororo."

"…Lupapa-dono… It's all right. I chose this," Dororo reassured her, and placed a hand on the crate. Lupapa looked up, placed a hand over his, and leaned inward, toward him. This moment was broken by a sudden noise ringing through the air, which both immediately recognized as gunshots.

Both ducked down, then crept up to the door. Dororo quietly opened it, and both looked out, and could see the atmosphere of the train cabin had drastically changed.

"This again…" Dororo said with quiet annoyance at the sight of the laughing Viper. The snake-like alien gave another haughty laugh, his one arm with the laser cannon attached to it raised in the air, while the other arm held the same alien baby that had visited them earlier.

"You know him?" Lupapa asked quietly.

"….Sort of. It's a complicated story," Dororo sighed. The Viper laughed, and jerked back as Ponyon took a step toward him, her gun drawn.

"You get any closer, the little brat will get it!" Viper snarled.

Lupapa grit her teeth, and Dororo clutched onto his sword. One looked at one another, and Lupapa gave a nod.

"We have to," she said quietly.

"Let's go on three, then," said Dororo.

"Right. One…. Two…"


	45. Dororo and Lupapa: We're On the Run! Pt2

Next chapter. Didn't manage to get the Christmas special done this year T.T Many apologies, because I really wanted to, too. Ah, well, there's always the next holiday :)

Please enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

Episode 22  
Dororo and Lupapa: We're On the Run!  
Part 12

"All right! I want everyone to fill up the bag with anything valuable!" Viper tossed a plain brown sack at a passenger in the back row. "Maybe if you're quick enough about it I won't hurt this little monster!" he added in a laugh.  
The baby continued to cry and struggle, and Viper growled at the child.

"Viper-dono!" Viper spun around, and at one exit there was now another alien blocking one of this exits; it was a small, blue masked Keronian, sword in hand. "Put down that child, this instant!"

"Haha… I'd like to see you make me, Keronian!"

"…I don't think you do, but if that's your wish…" Dororo narrowed his eyes, and unsheathed his sword.

Viper laughed, and went to look down at the baby in his arm, but then did a double-take. The baby was gone, replaced by a leather backpack.

"W-What?!" he balked, then looked up at Dororo. He was gone, and Viper took a step back, chilling with fear as he heard someone slowly land behind him.

Viper looked down at the bag again, and then shot his head up. Another Keronian looked at him, a smile on her face, and the baby in one arm. He then jerked his head over to Dororo, and stepped back, his gun drawn at the blue Keronian.

"W-When did she….? S-Stay back!" Viper barked. "Stay back, or everyone will get it! Do you hear me, Keronian?!"

Dororo narrowed his eyes, and Viper took another nervous step back, aiming his cannon now toward Lupapa and the baby. Both Dororo and Lupapa quickly jumped, and there was a flash. A few moments later, Viper toppled over; his cannon had been sliced, and there was a good-sized lump on his head from Lupapa's staff.

"Here you go," Lupapa smiled as she handed off the baby to a teary-eyed mother. "He's safe, now. You're all safe."

"You're under arrest for breaking numerous interstellar laws, ponyon! You have the right to remain silent, and you seem to be exercising that right, ponyon!" Ponyon called out to Viper as she stood over him, weapon drawn. The dizzy Viper answered in a groan. The train came to a halt, and the passengers wasted no time in disembarking from the hell ride.

Ponyon shot her head up, just in time to watch as Lupapa and Dororo rushed out with the crowd, "Hey! Wait, ponyon! I have to talk to you both, ponyon!"

But this caused the two to hurry only faster, until they were running out of the train station and into the crowds just outside of the station, hurrying back and forth from it, trying to get from place to place.

Dororo bumped into a stationary figure, and he glanced at Lupapa, puzzled by her silent, stunned expression. He then looked out at Keron and realized she was simply taking in all of the changes that the planet had gone through since her last being there.

"Lupapa-dono…. Will you be all right?" he asked quietly. Lupapa glanced over to him, and smiled with relief, nodding.

"I… I'll be just fine… It's just so different from when I last saw it, is all…. I could never have imagined this," she said quietly.

"Thank you for stopping by! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Dororo's mother said in between her constant bows, and both Dororo and Lupapa looked embarrassed as she continued to bow. "It's been so long since you've been to visit, Zeroro!"

"That's right-That's your other name," Lupapa said quietly, as if reminding herself this way.

"N-Now Mama, you don't need to be like that. Really!" Dororo said with a trifling laugh, and his mother nodded, and turned to Lupapa.

"Lupapa-chan, I hope you liked what was in the package!" she said cheerfully. "I picked it all out for you myself! I had to guess a little bit on the colors, but I thought it was pretty clear which ones you liked best."

"Package?" Lupapa frowned.

"Eh… Yes. The one I had shipped to your home…" she answered. "It wasn't easy finding someone who would travel to a Pekoponian jungle!"

"Doro?" Dororo shifted his gaze as he looked out the windows of the mansion, and saw a shadow slowly replacing the sunlight that filtered into the home. This was followed by a noise that Lupapa immediately recognized, and the purple Keronian was quick to pick up her staff and rush to the front door.

"Mama, get somewhere safe! We have this," Dororo reassured his mother as he took up his own sword, and stood in front of the door.

"Safe? But… Wait, that's-"

The door swung open, and both Keronians went to attack at the same time, stopping inches away at the sound of the high-pitched scream that the delivery person emitted. He fell back, and the crate he pushed fell onto the ground, cracking open onto the floor.

"I remember you… Porara-dono!" Dororo gasped at the sight of the alien, whose yellow eyes darted from beneath the brim of his worn hat to Dororo.

"Huh?" Lupapa reached over, and pulled out a black sweater from inside the crate.

"Zeroro told me you didn't like the cold on Pekopon, so… I thought you might like some things for when you went to visit him. I'm sorry if you already have something like that, I really am!" Dororo's mother replied, giving another bow.

"N-No… It's fine," Lupapa answered. "…Thank you, um…"

"You can call me Mama. I-If you want to, that is! If not, I understand! I don't want to hurry anything, or make you uncomfortable!"

"….Mama is fine," Lupapa said with a nod.

"Porara-dono… I thought you were a bounty hunter. Why would you be making a delivery?" Dororo helped the small alien to stand, and Porara dusted himself off, and snapped at Dororo.

"The recession's making it more and more difficult! Even bounty hunters have to pay bills, you know! And getting attacked all of the time doesn't help to make it any easier!" he answered in a grumble, and trudged out. "I'm going to send a bill for the repair of my ship! It was attacked by Pekoponians-Twice! It's a wonder it still works!" he continued even after he slammed the door and headed back to his ship, leaving in his wake three stunned Keronians.

"So all of that trouble… And I was running from someone who just wanted to drop off a package?..." Lupapa said quietly, with, of all things, a small smile spreading across her face. She started to chuckle, as did Dororo, and both broke out into full laugher, much to the confusion of Dororo's mother.

"Hello, ponyon? Space Police Ponyon!" both quit their laughter as Ponyon floated in. "You two aren't easy to find, ponyon!"

Lupapa's smile fell, and she tilted her head down, "….I promised I'd live a truthful life…." She reminded herself, and took a step forward.

"Zeroro, what is she talking about?" Dororo's mother asked, and Dororo looked at his mother apologetically.

"Lupapa-dono committed an act of unjust theft, Mama. That's why we came here…" Dororo answered with a sigh.

"I can't let the guilt eat away my conscience anymore," Lupapa answered, and looked ahead, numb and sullen, as she stepped in front of Ponyon. "I'm ready for you to arrest me."

"Arrest, ponyon?" Ponyon blinked. "I came to thank you both for your act of heroism on that train, ponyon! I'm usually a lot more on my guard than that, I was lucky to have you both on the same train, ponyon! That Viper has been going around robbing different trains-That's why I was on there with his photograph, ponyon!"

"Lupa-chan," Dororo's mother piped up, and held out a check to Lupapa, and a pen. "I… I think you forgot this during your last trip!"

"Lupa? M-Mama… I-I couldn't, I…"

"I insist," Dororo's mother answered, and winked at the purple Keronian. Lupapa nodded, and quietly took the check.

"Now was there something you wanted to tell me, ponyon?" Ponyon looked down at Lupapa, and the Keronian's eyes went wide, and she jumped back from Ponyon, and began to stutter an excuse.

"N-Not really…." Lupapa answered nervously.

"Your mother was too kind… I'll have to find some way to repay her for paying for that medicine," Lupapa pulled the green scarf around her neck tighter, and Dororo looked at her with a smile from behind his mask. She'd changed back to her own symbol, and had put on the scarf, as well as a black coat Dororo's mother had sent her. Even the slightly cool Keron evening was too cold for her.

"That's just how Mama is. She's always been like that," Dororo replied, then stopped. Lupapa had also stopped, her attention on an old, crumbled wall. She crept over to it, and read over the characters, slightly faded from the stone with time. They were names, written in a long-dead form of Keronese. Dororo remained behind, watching her as she walked over to the wall quietly, but not getting closer to her. He would give her her own space for this.

She knelt down at the stone wall, and brushed away some dirt; there were two names there, two she recognized. And to the left of both of her parents' names on the wall, some flowers starting to grow over the wall. The flowers were four-pointed, and yellow. Lupapa smiled at this, and gave a small chuckle.

"….This is your way of telling me you approve…" she shut her eyes and stood, understanding. "...Thank you, Mama, Papa... I'm glad you like him. Because I do, too."

"Lupapa-dono…. Are you all right?"

She opened her eyes, and nodded, "I'm wonderful…. We should get home. Everyone must be so worried."

"Agreed."

"And that's our plan…" Keroro finished, and then slumped over on his podium. "…It really just isn't the same, is it?" he sighed to himself, looking at the seat at the table, which was temporarily taken by Romama.

"I have a class to get to…." the teal Keronian muttered, and slid out of his seat. "…Plus this is really just depressing."

"Kuku… Even I have to agree to that," Kururu added, rising and walking away from the sullen group.

"I'm going to go to the junkyard," Kirere sighed, and sulked away from the group.

"I… Have other things to do, too…" Giroro stood, and walked away from the table.

"Ditto," Tamama added.

"…For never being here, Dororo-san really had an impact on group morale. Could you say, you never know what you have until it's gone?" Mois chimed in.

"No, you really don't, do you? Gero… I suppose we'll try again tomorrow…." Keroro muttered, rearranging some of the papers on his podium and looking glumly out at the group.

"Eh… Am I late for the meeting?" a quiet voice caught everyone's attention, and all snapped their heads in the direction of the blue ninja who had entered the room, seemingly unnoticed.

Dororo stood there for a moment, and gave a high yelp of surprise as he was tackled by both Kirere and Keroro.

"D-Dororo Heicho! You're back!" Keroro wept happily. "We missed you so much!"

"R-Really?!" Dororo teared up at the news of this, and stood back up. Keroro backed away, but Kirere remained clutching to him, as if afraid he'd again if she let go.

"K-Kirere… You can let go of him now…." Giroro said, tapping the young girl on the shoulder.

"No," she answered firmly, and Dororo gave a chuckle as Giroro eventually pulled her off.

"It's good that you're back," the Corporal said. "Were things straightened out with Lupapa?"

"Kururu-san put the numbers to the ship in, and we saw it was a bounty hunter! We were all scared for both of you!" Tamama interjected.

"Yes," Dororo nodded. "Things will be all right again, as soon as she gets back to her home."

"Gero… Well, it's great to have you back, Dororo. We'll just have to tell headquarters that your honeymoon was cut short is all. That shouldn't be a problem."

"M-My what?" Dororo choked.

"Kuku… Don't tell him yet. I'm going to get my camera," Kururu wandered back to the table, and pulled out a camcorder from beneath it. "All right. Go."

"W-Well… Headquarters was curious to your sudden departure… So naturally we lied and told them you were off because you'd just gotten married," Keroro answered, while Dororo grew more and more horrified. "Don't worry, knowing you, they'll probably forget all about it in no time!"

"K-Keroro-kun… How could you….?"

"They sent a lovely congratulatory card, and a gorgeous bouquet," Keroro answered, holding out the envelope to Dororo.

"…I don't think that really helped, Gunso-san…." Tamama said blandly.

"….Gero…." was Keroro's only reply as he gauged Dororo's grim expression.

Koyuki opened her eyes, and saw, with disappointment, that it was only a squirrel running along the branches.

The ninja girl hopped down from the wooden post she'd been standing on to meditate, and wiped her eyes, "…I must've gotten some dirt in them…" she said quietly.

"Koyuki-dono, are you crying?"

"No, Dororo, it's only di-Dororo?!" she gasped, and shot her head up.

There was the blue ninja, seated on the roof, Lupapa seated beside him. He hopped down, and Koyuki knelt down on the ground, embracing him tightly.

"I told you I'd be back, Koyuki-dono," Dororo said quietly.

"I know. And I knew you would," she answered, and broke away from him, her cheerful smile having returned now. "I'm so glad it wasn't for that long, either! I know I could have waited, but I didn't really want to have to!"

"You're thinking about something," Lupapa said quietly, and Dororo glanced over to her, dazed, as if he'd been pulled out of a trance. Both sat outside of the ninja hut; it was nighttime, and Koyuki had finally managed to fall asleep. Both Keronians took a seat on the rocks outside of the home, near the waterwheel that was attached to the side of the home.

"I was just thinking about to something that was said to me once, while I was in training…." Dororo answered. "I was told that, as a ninja, I shouldn't have any close bonds. But… Somehow I think having so many of them makes me stronger."

"They do," Lupapa nodded in confirmation. "I was a much stronger person when I had something to fight for… Namely my brothers and sisters. And now I have Marco and my family in Brazil…. And my family here. Having someone to believe in can be a powerful thing."

"Lupapa-dono, I… I suppose that can be true. I have both my friends here as well as my family on Keron. All of that love… Isn't without its difficulties."  
"I'm confused on what to do as well," she admitted. "Being away from Marco made me realize how much he still needs me. And how much your Koyuki needs you. If you want something badly enough… You just work through the difficult parts, I suppose. We'll figure it out when the time comes, I'm sure of it."

She stood, and Dororo did the same, "Are you going now, Lupapa-dono?"

"No-Early in the morning, I'll make the trip back. Until then, I suppose one more night in the cold won't harm much," she sighed. She leaned in to Dororo, kissed him briefly, then walked back toward the hut, smiling to herself, and leaving him red-faced.

He slowly turned his head at the sound of a giggle, and jumped, seeing Koyuki looking out the window, both her arms folded on the windowsill and her head resting on her hands.

"So cute!" she giggled, and Dororo reddened even more, and scratched the back of his head.

"Koyuki-dono! W-We're just-"

"Dororo, it's fine," Koyuki reassured him.

"R-Really?"

"Mm. I've known for a little while, anyway."

"I see. Ninja instinct."

"No, women's," she winked, and disappeared from the window. Dororo stood there a moment more thinking this over, then made his own way back into the home, in from the snow.


	46. Keroro Shotai: Invasion Uncovered Pt1

You remember those movie-type stories I did? Think of this as one of these, right in the middle of all of the regular episodes :) Will possibly run the length of two episodes, maybe three. Think of this as one of those types of episodes that's actually a chopped-up movie XD My way of making up for no Christmas special this year.

Well, enjoy! And-Happy New Year, everyone.

Episode 23:  
Keroro Shotai: Invasion Uncovered Part 1  
Part 1

"Not bad… Not bad at all…" Keroro said with a proud smile as he looked over his Christmas haul; mainly Gunpla, save for a mound of candy from Tamama and another necktie from Kirere. With a contented sigh, he took the first box, and laid it out on the newspaper he'd laid out on the ground.

"Ojiisama," Keroro looked up from his model, and there was Angol Mois, out of her disguise and a suitcase in her hands.

"Eh? Mois-dono? Where are you off to?"

"To visit my family for the New Year," she answered with a bright smile, "Could you say catching up with the folks?"

"Ah. Have a safe trip!" Keroro waved her off, and went back to work. His bedroom door opened, and Kirere ran in, laughing, followed by Giroro, who carried most of their luggage.

"We're going to visit my family for the New Year…." Giroro said with a sigh of something that sounded between resignation and exhaustion.

"And taking Kirere-chan with you, I see!" Keroro said with a polite smile, and the little girl lit up.

"Ojiisama's going to be there, and I'm going to get to meet my grandpa!" said the young girl happily.

"…This is going to be the longest week of my life…" Giroro said beneath his breath, and Kirere turned around.

"What? Did you say something?"

"Eh?! N-No, not at all!" Giroro sputtered, and held up his hands. "L-Let's go before we miss our train…"

"Bye! We'll bring you back something nice!" Kirere called out, and then they were gone.

"Hrm… Well, that's finished… Oh? What's this?" Keroro pulled out a gift from the bottom of the pile, and lit up. "Of course! Mama-dono's gift, the new Admiral Geroro video game! Gerogeroge~…. I wonder if someone wants to go a few rounds…."

He wandered down to the lab, and frowned as he found the door locked. He looked up, and saw a note on the door, "…Recovering. Don't bother me. ….Gero, that's right, Kirere-chan hugged Kururu Soucho yesterday during the festivities… That always takes it out of him… Ah, well, I could always challenge Mois-Oh…. Right."

The home was as quiet upstairs as it was down. Aki was at work, and both of the Hinata children were gone, leaving their own notes. Fuyuki had gone off with Momoka, and Natsumi with Koyuki.

"…Time to break out the phone book…." Keroro said with a sigh as he looked up at the duo of notes with disappointment.

"Tama? Gunso-san, I'm sorry…. I've been put on bed rest," Tamama explained from the other end of the phone, and Keroro grew immediately alarmed.

"B-Bed rest?!"

"Don't worry, it's nothing too bad! I just had too many sweets for Christmas!" Tamama answered. "When I get better, I've got to visit my family… B-But maybe after then!" he followed this by a yawn. "I better get going, the sugar's making me sleepy!"

"A-All right…" Keroro said quietly, and set the phone at his side. "…I suppose that's everybody, then…" he yelped as not moments after saying this, a dagger flew past him, landing in the wall. There was a note attached to it, in handwriting that Keroro immediately recognized as Dororo's.

"…Another year, another opportunity to forget me…" Keroro read, then looked over to the potted plant in the corner of the living room; a pair of teary blue eyes looked up from the hiding spot beneath the plant, then vanished. "….Well, I certainly flubbed that one up…."

"And relax!" Romama called out, and all of the little girls breathed sighs of relief, and relaxed from the poses they'd taken at the wooden dance bar. A few fell to the ground, giggling, while Romama walked past them, passing out towels or bottles of water to whoever needed it. "You're free to go whenever your parents are here to pick you up. If they're already here, you can go."

A few stood up and scampered away to their parents, while one alien girl stood, and gingerly stepped over to Romama, a letter behind her hands.

"S-Sensei?" the young, lavender, cat-like girl called, and Romama turned around. She flushed, and a few other girls looked now, watching this unfold. "I… I know you have a girlfriend already, but… I was hoping you could still take this gift." She bowed her head down and revealed the letter, and Romama took it, a look of confusion his face.

"Rosese-chan… I appreciate this, but what do you mean by girlfriend?"  
The girl shot her head up, and another girl from the back chuckled, "That one girl you always leave here to visit, Sensei! Aya-san!"

"Sensei's always here, with her, or visiting his Keronian friend…"

"D-Don't remind me about the last part… Aya-chan and I aren't like that. She's just a friend of mine," Romama answered. He turned his head as he heard a scream from one of the young girls, and as he looked out the shop window, he gave his own jerk of surprise. Plastered to the glass was Keroro's face looking in.

"I… I have to get him before he causes any more trouble… The other teacher is still here, if you need anything see her," Romama rushed out, and the children could see Romama grab Keroro by the sides of the helmet then drag him down the street.

"He… He's not her boyfriend… So that means I've still got a chance?" Rosese said quietly, a smile growing across her face.

"So everyone left you, so you thought you'd settle with me?" Romama took a sip of his smoothie, and Keroro answered with a nervous grin. "…You're an awful person."

"O-Ojiisama, that's… That's so cold…" Keroro said quietly. He glanced out the shop window, and smiled contently. "…It looks as though Mora-dono's shop is doing good business… Given the impending New Year, that's no surprise, really. Gero?"

"Who's that?" Romama asked, watching the hyperactive light green Keronian rush out, giving a happy squeal as she did so.

"…K-Karara-dono's having another visit, it'd seem… But why at Mora-dono's shop?"

"Honey, come on! We've got so much to do!" she called out, and out stepped another Keronian, this one walking at a much slower pace. Keroro spat out his smoothie; Romama's slipped out of his hand and crashed to the ground. Following behind Karara was Rokiki, a gold band on his finger, as well as hers.

"…I feel sick…" Romama said quietly. Both continued to watch the horror show, and saw Mora float out from her shop, and look sadly at the couple walking down the street.

"Gero, I feel as though we've stepped into a J-drama, personally…" Keroro said quietly. "Or maybe one of those Korean ones all of the kids are so crazy for nowadays."

"Good for him…" Romama sighed. "At least he's finally moving on with himself… Maybe this means he'll finally put the past behind him."

Both were silent for a few seconds, then sighed, "…No chance of that…"

Rokiki followed behind Karara as best as he could, stopping a moment as he felt a sudden chill.

"Eh? Roki-kun, are you all right?" Karara stopped her skipping, and turned around to face him.

"…Yes. Just…. Something feels off about today…" Rokiki answered, and resumed walking.

"Hehe, you're just nervous! That's all right! Ohhh I can't wait to tell everyone! We'll have to send out invitations right away!" she said cheerfully, then continued to walk down the stretch of alleyway, Rokiki by her side.

"You're nervous," Botan frowned, and Fujuju turned around from his spot in the mirror to look at the silver-haired woman sitting on the bed, watching him as he adjusted his tie.

"A bit…" he admitted with a small smile. He stood in his Pekoponian disguise, dressed in a wrinkled brown suit. "….Finally meeting the children's guardian…. I just want to give my best impression-You only get one first one, you know."

"And you're wearing that suit?"

"Y-Yes, what's wrong with it?" he asked, his voice faltering a bit.

"…Nothing."

"Are…. Are you lying to me?"

"Yes."

The door to the home burst open, and Maggie and Oliver both rushed in, both dressed a bit better than usual. Both were laughing and bickering with one another, and Oliver took Fujuju by the shoulders as they came to the couple.

"There they are! You two ready to go?" Oliver asked, winking at the Keronian in the Pekoponian disguise.

"I… Well, what do you think of this suit…? And be honest with me."

"Our sister's expecting you there now, as well," Maggie looked up at Botan with a grin. "We just told her-"

"We told her you were sick, so that's why you were so pale," Oliver explained. Botan gave a slight twitch of a frown, and Fujuju quickly stepped in between them.

"We… We should be off…" he chuckled, and they walked out of the phone booth, one by one, much to the surprise of the passers-by. Fujuju locked the door behind them, and all walked down the block, to the Martin twins' home.

Frannie greeted them with a happy squeal that set both Fujuju and Botan back with surprise, and embraced them both, "Come in, come in! We've got lots of snacks set up!"

"We made her get pre-made," Oliver whispered to Fujuju, who gave a smile sigh of relief.

"Well, most of it is," Frannie chuckled and blushed a bit. "Oh! But I did make this!" she exclaimed, holding up a bubbling bowl of gray liquid.

"M-My… What a lovely dip!"

Frannie looked down at it and frowned, "…It's a brioche."

"Eh, Fran, ain't those supposed to-" but Oliver was cut off by an arm around his throat; namely Maggie's. "W-We'll try it later…"

Fujuju sniffed the air; there was some familiar scent invading the air. He looked past Frannie to the kitchen, his eyes flashing-Black smoke was starting to billow out of it. Frannie, after a moment, smelt the burning as well, and gave a yell of horror. Fujuju followed her, and the other alien and twins exchanged nervous glances briefly, and then hurried to the doorway.

"Not that-Here!" Fujuju took the towel from Frannie's hands and passed her the salt, the top of the large jug already open. She poured it over the stove flames, and moments later they were extinguished.

"I… I suppose the pudding's done for…" Frannie looked down at the blackened sticky mess at the bottom of the steaming pan.

"I'll fetch us some. We have some at my home," Fujuju answered, holding his hands up and smiling.

"We can do that later… We'll clean this mess up. Wouldn't want to go into the New Year like this!" Maggie chuckled, and walked into the still foul-smelling kitchen, followed by Botan.

"Ah, we've got this!" Frannie replied, waving Botan off. "Wouldn't want you to strain yourself in your condition!"

All stopped at this, and looked at Botan; especially a panicked-looking Fujuju.

"…You know, her bein' pale and sick and all…" Frannie concluded.  
Fujuju gave a sigh of relief, and picked up the pan that had the burnt pudding in it.

"And the bein' pregnant part," Frannie added absently, and there was the sound of a smash as the pan slid from Fujuju's hand and hit the floor.

"Y-Yeah, like she's really…." Oliver started, but his smile fell quickly as he gauged Botan's expression. It was beyond her normal seriousness… She looked worried. "….Oh, wow…. R-Really?!"

"I have a good way about those things! When Mum was having you two, she didn't even know she was pregnant!" Frannie laughed, then looked to Botan. Her smile fell, and she paled, "Aw, don't tell me I did it again…"  
Botan rushed from the room, and Fujuju followed her, tripping a few times as he did so, "Botan! Wait!"

"…Happy New Year's, everyone…" Maggie sighed, and resumed sweeping the kitchen.

"I… I really did it, didn't I?" Frannie muttered quietly.

While the silence in the kitchen grew, Fujuju now ran after Botan outside. He called out to her again, then collapsed. Botan turned around at the sound of his falling, and hurried back over to him. Where he had stood was a pile of clothing, and after a moment, Fujuju's head popped out, in his original Keronian form.

"I… W-What happened?" he looked down at his arms and felt his face. He immediately attempted to switch the invisibility back on, but it was to no avail. Now people in the street were stopping and staring at them. Botan quickly scooped him up in the pile of clothing and rushed into the phone booth. She set him down on the couch, and Fujuju again attempted to press his crest.

"It… It stopped working… N-No matter, this has happened to me before!" he gave a nervous chuckle, and stood, hurrying up to his lab. "I… I ought to have it fixed in no time!"

Botan stood and watched him quietly for a few moments, then quietly walked up the stairs. He sat with his back to her, and stopped working on the crest briefly as he felt her presence behind him.

"Are…. Are you really….?" he turned around to face her. She answered with a hint of a smile, and he began to laugh. "I… W-Well, this is quick? Good thing we like one another so much."

"Time's not relative to me," she answered.

"R-Right… Well… I-" both then stopped; the ground beneath them had started to shake. Botan's eyes flashed, and she stood up solid on the ground, even as books, films, records, and other things rattled off of the shelves.

"I'm being called on. I have to go."

"W-What?! Wait, you-" but she vanished. He gave a sigh of frustration, and took to hiding beneath his lab table. From here, he could see the living room television. Although it had been switched off, it flickered, until a final image came onto the screen. He paled with horror as he looked at the image.

"Ugh!" Natsumi shook her cell phone and grumbled. "Work already!"

"Eh? Natsumi-san? Is there something the matter?" Koyuki leant in towards the phone curiously, and Natsumi huffed.

"I was supposed to call Fuyuki when I was on my way home…. I'm not getting any reception!" Natsumi replied. Koyuki took the phone and studied it, and Natsumi raised her head. "….Looks like no one's getting it…" she muttered, noting other people similarly puzzled by the sudden malfunctioning of not only their cell phones, but their laptops and gaming systems as well.

Natsumi's hands clenched, and her teeth did. She felt a vein on the side of her forehead pound, "…I think I know who to blame for this…"

"So… He's in love with her?" Romama pointed to a character in the manga, and Keroro nodded.

"But she loves him, gero… It's not very difficult to follow, Ojiisama!"

"….At least it's not Dostoyevsky…" Romama sighed gratefully, and flipped the page. The door to the bedroom slammed open, and Giroro stomped in, growling. He opened the fridge door, breaking the handle off in the process. He tossed this aside, and climbed in, slamming the door behind him.

"Hehe… The trains weren't working, Dad thinks Papa has some hand in it," Kirere followed behind, and chuckled apologetically, scuttling into the underground base while she still carried her luggage. "W-Wait! I'm sure he's got a good explanation!"

The door closed again, and Romama watched this a moment, until Keroro waved it off, "…They're always like this. It's not the most stable environment for Kirere-chan, I'm afraid."

"STUPID FROG!" Natsumi bellowed out as she stormed into the house. Keroro yelped, and cowered behind Romama, cringing as he heard her footsteps hurry down the hall. "WHAT did you do now!?"

"N-Natsumi-dono! I didn't do anything! Honest!"

"What's going on, anyway?" Romama asked, looking back to Keroro, then to Natsumi.

"There's no phone reception anywhere! Everyone's TVs and computers are out, too! And there's only one person I can think of who would do this…."

"R-Right! We'll go see Kururu Soucho right away!" Keroro hopped up, and began to rush for the door. Natsumi picked up the green frog by the head and stared at him wearily. "Gero… I-I swear I had nothing to do with this! Why would I when it's the night of the Admiral Geroro marathon?!"

Natsumi dropped him to the ground, and Keroro landed roughly, giving a grumble as he stood. She folded her arms and looked darkly down to him, "Well if it wasn't you, who was it?!"

"Eh? Well…"

Giroro held Kururu by the throat, while Kirere stood at the sidelines, waving for them both to stop. This was in vain. Natsumi, Keroro, and Romama walked up to the scene, Romama's shoulders slumping as he looked at the sight.

"…They… They make me sad, sometimes," Romama said quietly with a sigh.

"Now what have you done, you bastard, and why did you do it? Do you know how bad traffic was?" Giroro growled, tightening his grip on Kururu's neck.

"Kukuku… I have no idea… ACK!... W-What you're talking about, kuku!" Kururu coughed in reply.

Giroro gave a growl, then dropped him on the ground, "If it wasn't you, then who was it?!"

"That's what we're trying to figure out."

"N-Natsumi!"

"Giroro, I thought you and Kirere were supposed to be going to your planet for the New Year…"

"We were. All of the train systems are out," Giroro answered with a grumble.

"And we tried to call, but our crests aren't working, either," Kirere answered sadly, clicking hers.

"W-What?!" Romama squeaked. "How am I supposed to see her, then!?"

"Could be sunspots, kuku! This planet's sun is closer than Keron's is to it. I wouldn't be surprised if it caused glitches in our own equipment as well as theirs every now and again…"

"Well, if that's the case, it should blow over soon…" Keroro said with a sigh of relief.

"That doesn't make it any better!" both Romama and Giroro growled at the Sergeant, and Keroro yelped and fell back onto his rear.

"S-So scary…" Keroro shivered.

"Did the power go out here, too?" Kirere stepped away from the scene, and began to examine the lab better now, noting all of the screens switched off, but the lights still on.

"Kuku… If the power was out, I'd be on emergency generators, and I'd be getting some sort of signal," Kururu stepped over in her direction, and watched as she pulled off one of the covers to the main computer, then crawled in.

"W-What?! You're going to let her go in, just like that?!" Giroro yelped, hurrying over to his daughter.

"She knows what to do. Well, hopefully she does, kuku!"

"Kirere! Be careful!"

"I will!" she called out. Moments later, there was a zapping sound, and a blue flash of light. When Giroro pulled out the young girl, she was knocked out cold from the electrical jolt she'd received, only giving a small groan. He held her up by the foot, and she moaned.

" Looks like she didn't, kuku!"

All jumped at a slamming sound. This was followed by another, then another, until there was a succession of slamming noises echoing down the hall, coming closer and closer to the group. Giroro held onto Kirere with one arm, while he held a gun in the other. He slid in front of Natsumi just as Keroro cowered behind Romama and Natsumi.

And there stood a tall shadow, and a pair of glowing orange eyes. Giroro growled, and set down Kirere, then lunged for the creature. It growled and jumped as well, grabbing onto his gun and then sending him flying into one of the walls. The Corporal vanished into a nice-sized crater in the wall, while Chunini stood in front of them, holding Giroro's gun, and looking irate. She panted heavily as she stared down the group, and Lee followed behind her, one of her own guns drawn. She pointed this at Keroro, and the green Keronian gave a shriek, and hid further behind his uncle and overlord.

"Miss Chu, just say the word, and it will be done. The body will never be found," Lee said sternly.

"N-Now wait a second!" Natsumi stuttered. "What's going on here?!"  
Chunini answered in a growl, which Lee translated, "Miss Chu was performing as usual, when her usual concealment device failed. She was left in her Keronian form in front of a crowd of thousands, as well as a television audience. It didn't take us long to narrow down who could have been responsible for this."

"I'm ruined…" Chunini said quietly and darkly. "…All because of all of you. My entire livelihood is gone! And I'm too old to be in Morning Musume!" she took Keroro by the shoulders and shook him back and forth.

"Kuku, at least they didn't find out your other secret, Chu-chan," Kururu chuckled. This went unnoticed from Chunini, who continued to shake Keroro back and forth. This went on until the computer screens flickered.

There were a few moments of static, and Chunini stopped as on the screen appeared the face of a smiling boy, with shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes. Romama in particular paled at the sight of the boy.

"N… Nikolai!" Romama mumbled quietly. "But… How?"

"Hello, world!" the boy spoke in Kezanstav's voice. Giroro walked up, still rubbing his head, and looked up at the screen. "You're probably all worried about your electronics. That's all right, they'll be turned back on! It's good that they're off for a little while, though, don't you think? It really gives you a chance to see what's been going on here! You may not know it, but there's been a lot going on while you were busy looking at all of those screens! In fact, your life could change really drastically if the invaders get their way!"

"What?" Romama's mouth fell open, and the other Keronians listened to the voice as it continued, now over a series of pictures. Aliens in everyday life. Pictures of the allies, pictures of aliens they themselves knew. Most importantly, pictures of them.

"There are aliens who live underwater, aliens who live in your country-There could be aliens right in your home, or teaching your children! ….Among all of these aliens, there's only one to worry about," his smile fell, and the Keroro saw a picture of his very platoon on the screen. "These are the worst ones. They may look cute, but don't let that fool you! They're invaders above anything else! Your electronics will all work again when this broadcast ends…. Well, most of them, anyway. And you don't have to believe what I've said, but…" he leaned into the frame a bit, and smiled. "…How else could I come over so many wavelengths if I didn't have a little bit of help from technology above Pekopon's? Good luck keeping your planet safe!"

The image of the young boy flickered, and a few moments later, the familiar screens of Kururu's laboratory. Kirere looked to Giroro, then to Kururu for reassurance. Giroro looked worried; Kururu's face was blank, but he was sweating. Everyone was stone silent.

"O… Ojiisama… It… It was you?" Keroro muttered quietly.

"What?! How could you say that?! The last thing I want is anyone to get noticed! Nikolai, he… That wasn't him!" Romama barked. "That couldn't be him! He…. He's not even… That couldn't be him!"

"….You should go," Giroro said sternly.

"What?! I-"

"Ojiisama," Keroro's voice was harsh in the silence, and Romama jumped. "Please. Go."

"I…" Romama stepped back a few steps. "…I didn't have… I… I didn't…" he backed away until he was out of the room. The door shut behind him, and he stood there, "…How…?"

"So…. What's going to happen to us?" Kirere asked quietly in the briefing room. The Keroro Platoon and Mois had gathered there, along with Chunini, Fuyuki, and Natsumi. She looked worriedly to Giroro, and he looked down at the ground, and then back up to her.

"I… I'm not sure…" he admitted. "We… We'll be all right. Don't worry."

"Yeah, Gunso-san's messed up plenty of times in the past!" Tamama chimed in cheerfully. "This is nothing; we'll get through this in no time!"

"You don't think this is a little worse?" Natsumi interjected. "Everyone in the world saw those pictures of you guys! …Great. So now there's even more trouble."

"Well, if you don't include people that don't have televisions or computes, Nee-chan… And the number of skeptics…" Fuyuki sat in a corner, surfing through websites on a laptop. "…A lot of people think it's for a new movie that's coming out, that it's just viral marketing."

"I turned into an alien in front of thousands of people, remember?!" Chunini snapped at him. "How am I supposed to explain that?!"

"Movie tie-in? Kukuku!" Kururu chuckled from his computer. "Eh?"

"What's that? Did you figure out where the video was coming from?" Giroro asked, and leaned over to look at Kururu's screen.

"It was on this planet…. And I managed to get a still of the reflection of camera man, kuku! Needless to say, it's… Interesting…" Kururu chuckled, and turned the laptop around. All leaned in, and looked at the unmistakable figure, as seen in the reflection of the mirror in the background. It was just barely visible, but it was a Keronian.

It was chartreuse, with a red cap and familiar E-shaped symbol.

"…Him, too?" Tamama said, crestfallen.

"No," all shot their head up at Keroro's voice it. "I… I don't know how to explain it, but Fujuju Soucho has nothing to do with this, just like Ojiisama doesn't."

"What?! But, Keroro, I-"

Keroro looked up from the podium, and he was grinning brightly, "Have a little faith, Red Dharma! They wouldn't let us down like that! I know Ojiisama! He wouldn't jump to conclusions like that about me, so I won't about him, geroge!"

"…Kicked out by the one relative I've got…" Romama grumbled, and slammed his apartment door behind him. He stood at his doorway a moment, and felt his eyes and face start to burn. He wiped his eyes and grumbled. "…And I've got dust in my eyes, now…."

"Romama-kun?" Romama jumped at the sound of his voice, and Kodada gingerly stuck her head out from the living room. "I… I didn't mean to scare you! I just…"

"K… Kodada-chan? What're?... What're you doing here?"

"I didn't know where else to go," she admitted. "Fujuju-san isn't picking up his phone, and I saw what happened to Nee-chan… Things are really bad for everyone. My cloaking device won't work, and… My family doesn't know about this. I can't let them see me like this. I… I had to leave them for now. I know this is asking you a lot, but… Would it be all right if I could stay here a little while?"

"I… Yes, of course, Kodada-chan," Romama flushed. "I'll make up a spare room for you."

"Romama-kun… You… You don't know what's going on, do you?" Kodada asked quietly as he turned to leave. Romama tilted his head down, then spoke.

"No. But I'm going to find out. Even… Even if it's just me doing it," Romama answered in a hushed voice. "I'll make you a bed, Kodada-chan. Stay put."

He walked into the spare room, shutting the door behind him. He turned his head as he thought he saw a shadow in the window, but quickly relaxed a bit as he saw it was only the white curtains in the plain room. Still, he felt a looming sense of dread, as though he was being watched.


	47. Keroro Shotai: Invasion Uncovered Pt2

And another part. :) Please enjoy.

Episode 23:  
Keroro Shotai: Invasion Uncovered Part 2  
Part 2

"Chicken?! You don't eat chicken, either?!" Nikolai was aghast. Romama looked up at the young boy, clearly puzzled. He took another pickle from the jar the two shared, then slid it across the barn floor to the young boy. Nikolai took the jar, and pulled one out for himself.

"I don't even know what a chicken is…" Romama muttered.

"Eh… Hey! It's one of those!" Nikolai pointed as the white bird in mention strutted past, clucking along the war. Romama drew his head back, and looked a bit ill, obviously thinking this over.

"…How would you eat the feathers?"

Nikolai laughed, "You just don't get it, hahaha! That's okay…. I guess it makes sense…. I just couldn't imagine never eating another pot pie again."

"You don't have to. Just don't give one to me," Romama pulled up his red scarf and shivered a bit. "You Nonteruma have really mastered your elements, if you're able to live here."

"Well, we have to," Nikolai answered, and stretched. "I wouldn't mind a little change, though. Just once I'd like to see some place sunny."

Romama was quiet for a bit, thinking. It'd been months since they'd started traveling together, and in that time the human boy had proven himself a trustworthy ally. He sighed, then pulled out from beneath his scarf his Kero ball. Nikolai's eyes lit up suddenly at the sight of the object.

"What's this?" he asked, poking at its antennae.

"I'm not even sure if it works after all of these years, but…. It's a Kero Ball. It was given to me as leader of our mission. I…. It's supposed to be able to transport us all sorts of places, among other things. I want to teach you how to use it," he answered, handing it to the boy.

"I… Do… Do you really mean it?!" Nikolai asked excitedly. "Where do we start?!"

"Well, you-H-Hey, watch out, just don't go pressing buttons like that, you'll-"

A glove shot out of the bag, clocking Romama squarely in the jaw and sending him flying back. Nikolai rushed to his feet to aide his friend, and lifted him up, while Romama rubbed his sore jaw. Of all things, Nikolai started chuckling a bit, Romama, slightly embarrassed, joining him in the laughter after a few moments.

When Romama woke up from his drew, it was to the sound of noise coming from the kitchen. He grumbled a bit and trudged out, and rubbed his eyes, first taken aback at the sight of Kodada, then remembering the night's events.

"I made breakfast!" she said with a chirp. "I hope you don't mind, I couldn't find any bacon, and I know you like it, but-"

"K-Kodada-chan, that's fine… I'm a vegetarian, remember?"

Kodada was quiet for a while, then her eyes flew open a bit as she did indeed remember, and she flushed, "I'm sorry… That was so dumb of me, you'd think I'd remember…."

"That's all right," Romama nodded, and took his plate gratefully. "…Kodada-chan? Are you all right? It wasn't a big deal or anything."

"Hehe, I'm fine!" she answered with a smile, then hopped off of the stool she'd stood on to cook. "Come on, Romama-kun, let's catch up while we eat."

"And this is the rest of my rent," Rokiki handed the envelope to Mora, then gave a sigh. "…With a little extra, seeing as what you've done for me."

"Right…" Mora nodded, looking downward a bit.

Rokiki turned around, and rubbed the back of his neck, "The movers should be here for everything when they can. As soon as the trains are back to working how they usually are, we should be fine."

"That… That's fine," Mora said quietly.

While this exchange went on, Chandi found herself between researching the odd events of yesterday and entertaining Karara's talk about the wedding.

"And we still have to pick out the invitations, and-There's so much to do still!" Karara said with a happy, contented smile.

"H-How old did you say you were again?" Chandi asked, a bit worried.

"All right," Rokiki walked out to the living room, and gave another, exhausted sigh. "Who do we have to meet again today?"

"Oh, a bunch of people!" Karara answered cheerfully, and took him by the arm. "The planner, the florist, that doctor-"

"Doctor?" Mora's voice took Rokiki by surprise, and he gave a small nod.

"I decided I'd finally get rid of all of this," Rokiki pointed to his face, and the tattoos on it. "It's… Too much trouble having them now."

"We'll have to be careful, those crests still aren't working!" Karara reminded him.

"Yeah. I… I'll be right there, all right?" Rokiki spoke quietly, and looked sideways to Karara. She nodded, and hurried off.

"Rokiki-kun… Why all of this?" Mora asked quietly.

"It… It's nothing you'd understand," Rokiki looked away and sighed.  
"If it's because you're lonely-"

"It's nothing you'd understand," he repeated more sternly now, and turned away from her, out the door.

Mora stood there, silent, before Chandi chimed in, "You know… You could go after him."

"Eh? W-Why would I do that? He's just another customer!" Mora chuckled nervously. "And I don't get in the way of those sorts of things… You should know that, Chandi…."

Chandi was quiet for a while, then took up her laptop and shoved it in her backpack, and made her way to the front door, "I'm going to be out for a little while…"

"All right. I'll start dinner!" Mora said with a happy twitter in her voice. This was answered with only the closing of the door.

Fujuju clicked on the pictures, then grumbled as the image flickered on the computer screen, "Work, blast you, work!"

"I keep telling you to get a new one!" Oliver sighed. "Ay, when did you start wearing glasses!?" he frowned, and poked at Fujuju. Indeed, the Keronian wore a small pair of glasses, and removed them and rubbed his eyes.

"Very recently… I've been blessed with my father's later-onset visual problems," he muttered. "It took forever to download these from their sources, now every few moments there's another crash! ….This is very bothersome…."

"Oliver? Oh, don't let him. A good blow to the head fixes anything," Maggie walked past them both, her arms full of boxes.

"W-What are you doing now?" Fujuju asked with a bit of panic in his voice.

"Well…. If you're going to have a baby around here, you'll need all the space you can get," Maggie answered, setting down the boxes and then rubbing her aching back. "…You know you could help, Ollie."

"I know," he answered, then turned back to Fujuju. "It working yet?"

"No," Fujuju muttered in a frustrated grunt, pounding on a few of the keys.  
"Is there somewhere I could put these?"

"My old room," Fujuju answered absently. "We've been using it for another storage room."

"….Old room? Really now, you dog," Oliver giggled.

"Finally!" Fujuju sighed as the image loaded, either elated by this and not registering Oliver's comment, or outright ignoring it. "Now… To do some close-up work on this…" He attempted to do this, only to have the photo freeze up once more. He gave a sigh and threw his head back, giving a groan.

"Here, let me try," Maggie knelt beside the computer, and began to work. Both Oliver and Fujuju watched in awe as she not only got the screen working, but with a few more clicks, had the image cleared.

"Bloody-When did you learn that?!" Oliver exclaimed, and Maggie gave a small blush.

"Thomas taught me…" she answered, a bit embarrassed, and she flushed at the surprised looks both her tutor and brother gave her. "W-Where're still friends…."

"...Both of you are seeing someone… I'm an outcast in my own family!"  
Fujuju looked off in thought for a moment, then resumed typing, "….What did you say this boy's last name was?"

"Marshall. The fourth," she replied. Fujuju stopped typing for a brief moment, then resumed it, shaking his head.

"…There's simply no way…." He muttered to himself. "…Now what do we have here….?"

"Hey, looks like… I dunno, an E… On someone's shirt?" Oliver squinted. "…Awful short person…."

"That's… Not a person, is it…? Not a human person…." Maggie said with a tone of concern, reading the look on Fujuju's face. It was the face of someone who had just had a horrible realization.

"I… Children… This… Could be quite serious. Oliver, I want you to grab your sister, and come back here. Margaret, I want you to help me take anything breakable and store it away," he hopped off the computer chair, and immediately went to work removing the numerous glass knickknacks from the surrounding bookshelves.

"Why? What are we doing?" Oliver asked, standing and watching Fujuju with the same uncertainty did.

"Call it a hunch, but… I have the feeling that the only safe place to be now is with our friends in Japan."

"Why are we packing away everything, then?" Maggie asked, and began to remove items from higher shelves.

Fujuju looked up to her, then back to Oliver, "We're going to make this place fly."

"…Next thing I know you'll be fighting trash cans and offering everyone jelly babies," Oliver sighed, and rushed out of the phone booth-style home. "I'll be right back! …Fran's gonna flip…"

"Ah, finally we get to us," Keroro gave a grateful sigh, and went back to work on his model, singing to himself as he did so. "…I should really go apologize to Ojiisama… But with my cloaking device still not working, it'd be such a pain…." He then caught sight of the dusty Pekoponian suit lying in the corner of his room, and gave an embarrassed chuckle. "M-My goodness… The holidays really have had me slacking!"

One dusting off of the suit later, he was in the main Hinata house, whistling as he walked through, "Fuyuki-dono! I'm going to visit Ojiisama!"  
Fuyuki sat on the couch, and looked up to Keroro, "Gunso, are you sure that that's a good idea? You don't think you won't get recognized?"

Natsumi snorted and flipped another channel on the television, "Heh, Stupid Frog doesn't care. He probably just wants to go buy some more Gunpla and using his uncle as a cover…."

"N-Natsumi-dono! That's so cold! ….Although now that you mention it, I might be able to use some of the New Year's money Mama and Papa sent for a trip on the way home…."

"Good luck getting caught," Natsumi snorted, and continued to flip through the channels. At this same time, Chunini walked through, dressed in a blue bathrobe and looking exhausted. She held a coffee cup in her hand, and sluggishly walked through the living room. She stopped to glance at the gossip show Natsumi had landed on.

"And in other news, we're still receiving news about how famous Korean act Chu is still in hiding…" Natsumi didn't get to hear the rest of the broadcast. Chunini broke out into a wail and rushed back to the base, slamming the door behind her.

"I… I'll be going, then…." Keroro muttered, chuckling uncomfortably.

"Idiot…" Giroro snorted, and turned his attention from the scene going on in the living room and back to his weapons.

"Hey, hey, Aka Baka!" Giroro shot his head up from his concentration, and his eyes went wide.

"D-Don't tell me…." Giroro muttered, and before he knew it, he was locked into a bear hug from behind. Mahihi laughed, releasing his grip a moment later, and took a seat next to Giroro at the fire pit.

"Been a while since I've visited! Hehe, it always this cold here?! Dude, I've been freezing since we hit the ocean!" Mahihi chuckled.

"Giro? Mahihi, what… What are you doing here?" Giroro blinked, noting the load of luggage that sat behind Mahihi.

"Thought I'd visit one of my best friends!" Mahihi said with a smile, and scratched the back of his head. "It's been ages since I've seen snow! Thought I'd try snowboarding, it doesn't look all that different from surfing! Say, we should go as soon as the weather's good enough! You're getting to be a pretty good surfer!"

"Mahihi…. What are you really doing here?"

Mahihi sighed, and his shoulders slumped, "You got me. You're good at reading me like that… Daisy and I decided ever since that footage showed that it'd… Be best if I kept my distance."

"Kept your distance?"

Mahihi nodded, "There's been rumors that the government in America's taking it as a serious threat. Any sort of alien or alien-like behavior is being looked into seriously, for once. You know us, we like a good conspiracy. It's all just until it dies down…. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, I suppose not. It's nothing I wouldn't do for my family."

"That's great! Now, would you hold the baby for a second?"

"Wh-WHAT?!" Giroro yelped, and now in his arms, along with his gun, was a wriggling Keronian infant, dark green with brown eyes. "What for?!"

"I need to find his diaper bag," Mahihi answered, while Giroro chilled in horror at this revelation.

"Hrm?" Dororo opened his eyes, and the deer in front of him stared at him, before raising its head and running from the lake. The blue ninja himself rose from his spot from beneath the waterfall, and Koyuki glanced to him, one eye opened.

"Is something the matter, Dororo?"

"The animals… They know something's the matter, Koyuki-dono…." Dororo answered. "…Even ones that hibernate usually…. I saw some evacuating from this area just this morning."

"I've been feeling it, too," Koyuki admitted, and stood. Both looked up, drawn to the sound of flapping wings, and watched a group of brown birds fly overhead. "...I wonder where they're going to…."

"Somewhere safer," Dororo replied. He suddenly became aware of a presence behind them, and both turned around at the same time. Even under the heavy scarves and coats, Lupapa's green eyes were still visible.

"So the animals from the rainforest have been doing the exact same thing?!" Dororo asked in astonishment, and Lupapa took a sip from her tea and then nodded. Her face was flushed from the heat, and she sat in the ninja hut with both Koyuki and Dororo, forming a circle.

"The plants are feeling it, too. Some of the trees…. They're becoming smaller, as if they're trying to hide. The Earth is worried. And my cloaking device has stopped working, and it was working perfectly up until about the same time the animals began to leave," Lupapa replied. "Did something happen?"

"The only worrisome thing I could think of would have to be yesterday…" Dororo answered. "My platoon was uncovered…. Teicho-dono doesn't seem worried about it, but everyone else has been on edge over it. Everything's feeling incredibly tense… The planet, my team… Everything. It could have something to do with the fact the one who did the uncovering was Kezanstav-dono."

"Kezanstav?" Lupapa's eyes widened at this. "But… How?"

"We aren't sure," Dororo admitted. "It's all incredibly confusing. Kururu-dono has been working around the clock to find out more, and I think even Kirere-chan is helping out in any way she can."

"This… This is bad…" Lupapa shook her head. "How could he still be alive?"

"Maybe it wasn't him," Koyuki said with a bit of thought, and both Lupapa and Dororo looked to the ninja girl. "There's a jitsu like that, where you can take someone else's form… I'm not very good at it, but there were other ninjas in my village who were masters of it! They could take the disguise of anyone!"

"In some ways…. The thought of that is scarier…." Lupapa muttered. "…We've defeated Kezanstav before. But thinking that it's someone we know nothing about?... That's what's got me worried…."

Kururu continued typing away on his computer, stopping at the sound of footsteps, "I thought I told you to go outside. You're just trouble here."

"Is it true that if a platoon doesn't take over the planet, they never get to see one another again?" Kirere inquired.

Kururu didn't turn to face her, he only kept his eyes on the numerous screens in front of him, "Yes. Why?"

"If… People know about us, an invasion will be harder, right?"

"Probably, kuku!"

"So… There's a chance that we won't get to invade? And… That means we'll never get to see one another again? I won't get to see you or Dad again?"

"Tch," Kururu muttered. "…I thought your type were the ones with blind faith…."

"I just… I don't want to lose anyone," Kirere's voice cracked a bit, and Kururu stopped typing for a moment. "I… I don't want this to change… Ever…"

"Kuku, that's quite selfish…"

"Then I'm selfish!" she snapped, her fists balling and shaking.

"…If you're so intent on not going home, then figure something out, kuku!"

"Figure what out?" Kirere asked. Kururu only went back to typing. She shuffled to his side, to look for any change of expression, but she found none. She hurried away in a huff.

Kururu stopped as he finally spotted something in one of the pictures, and leaned in to get a better look. He glanced up at the ceiling dully as he heard a thud noise, followed by a bit of debris falling and landing onto the ground.

"What… WHAT'S THIS?!" Natsumi shrieked at the sight of the upside-down red phone booth halfway buried in the backyard.

"…It just gets weirder and weirder, huh, Nee-chan?" Fuyuki chuckled as he came to the glass doors as well. Giroro and Mahihi were with stunned and wide-eyed at the sight of the box; it'd landed inches from them both. And the baby in Giroro's arms giggled and clapped happily.

"I… I don't believe this!" Frannie paced back in forth in the Hinata household. "I… I CAN'T believe this! How… How are we in Japan, right now?!"

"Flew," both Oliver and Maggie answered blandly from their place on the couch. Natsumi and Fuyuki watched the purple-haired woman as she continued to pace about the house.

"I… I'm in Japan! That means I shouldn't have my shoes on in here!" she said with a gasp. "I… I'm sorry!" she yelped, giving a boy to the taken aback Hinata children. Frannie then took a seat on the floor, and began to remove her boots.

"It's all still sinking in for her…." Maggie explained.

"It's… It's all right, I still have a hard time letting it all sink in, too," Natsumi answered. Frannie jerked her head up, her eyes wide.

"Say! If I'm in Japan, you're speaking Japanese! But… I can understand that! How is that?!"

"More weirdo alien technology… There's a lot of that going around here…" Natsumi sighed, folding her arms.

"So…. You two… Have aliens at your home…." Frannie said slowly, then looked to Maggie and Oliver. "And your tutor is really a little brown alien who lives in a phone booth, and disguises himself as a ginger."

"That's about right…." Maggie nodded.

"Except he's chartreuse, not brown. He's very sensitive about that," Oliver replied.

"Kuku…."

"Kururu Soucho!" Fuyuki exclaimed as the yellow Keronian made his appearance. Frannie jumped back and gave a yell, and Kururu returned the yell, although it was obviously sarcastic. "What're you doing up here?"

"Kuku, I thought I needed the fresh air…." Kururu answered, and held up some photographs for the others to see. "And there's the matter of these…."

"So, was his girlfriend a little… That…? Too?" Frannie pointed down to Kururu, and looked up to the children.

"Nah, that's how she really is all the time…" said Oliver.

"And they're having a baby? But, how….?"

"Stop!" Maggie held up her hand quickly, "I don't wish to think about it."

"So he's having another one, kuku…"

"Ye-Hey, how'd you know about that?" Oliver frowned.

"Kuku, you could say I stumbled on it…." Kururu chuckled.

"Where is Fujuju Soucho, anyway?" Fuyuki wondered aloud, then looked to the backyard.

"I think we just got our answer…." Natsumi said tiredly as she saw Fujuju in between Giroro and Mahihi, holding the Keronian baby in his arms.

"Ehehe!" Giroro laughed as the baby laughed back at him, and Fujuju gave a smile as he looked down at the child. "There you go!" he held up few pulled grenade pins, and jiggled them above the baby, all while laughing.

"….G… Giroro?" Natsumi's eyebrow twitched at the sight of the heartwarming scene, and Giroro fell back onto the snow, his face bright red at having been caught.

"N-Natsumi! It's not… I mean, it's training for the baby is all!" Giroro answered in a fervent tone. "I-I-It's just training!"

"Eh? Well, you're a cute-ACK!" Fujuju coughed as the baby grabbed hold of his scarf and pulled, tightening it about the Keronian's neck.

"N-No, bad Waikiki, don't do that to him…" Mahihi loosened the grip, and with it, Fujuju's scarf. A picture fell to the ground, and Natsumi lifted it up from the snow.

"Fujuju, who's this?"

"Well… It… It's a long story, but that's my daughter," he replied, flushing. "Her name's Rita. Really has all of my good looks, don't you think?"

"Y-Yeah, definitely," Natsumi gave a nervous smile, and handed him back the photo. Fujuju's smile fell at her expression.

"Is… Something the matter?"

"N-No, why would it be?" Natsumi chuckled, and turned away, shutting the door behind her.

"…Wonder what that was all about…" Mahihi muttered.

"And then, remember how mad my Papa was?!" Kodada laughed, and Romama joined in this. "I thought he was going to shoot you!"

"He tried!" Romama laughed. This both ended, and he stood from the table, taking both empty cups with him. He returned, and took a seat across from Kodada. She started in on another story, but trailed off as she noticed Romama looking out the window. Kodada pulled back the curtains and glanced out, and there stood a frail, fragile looking girl, her hair tied back tight.

"Is that Aya-chan?" Kodada asked, and Romama gave a surprised look. "…You mentioned her a lot, so I just assumed…."

"Yes, that's Aya-chan. She must be on her way to practice…" Romama muttered, and resumed his spot. There was a knock on the apartment door, and Kodada dove beneath the kotasu, while a curious Romama went to investigate the pounding on his door. He slapped his forehead at the sound of the yelling… That voice…

He opened the door, and Keroro fell face-first on the ground, rolling out of his Pekoponian suit in the process. Romama shut the door behind him, and looked over the green Keronian, hands on his hips.

"O-Ojiisama, it's terrible!" Keroro wept, and latched on to his uncle. "P-People kept thinking I was part of some publicity stunt!"

"Calm down, you idiot!" Romama snapped, prying Keroro off of him slowly. "What are you doing here?! I thought you thought I did this!"

"Gero? N-No, never! I know Ojiisama wouldn't do something like this purposefully!"

"I didn't do it on accident, either!" Romama snarled. "I don't know what's going on!"

"I really don't know how I'm going to get back unseen…." Keroro sniffed. "Can I stay here? We can have a sleepover, like old times."

"Old times?! We did that twice! Once because I was homeless!" Romama answered. Both were drawn out of this argument by a chuckle, and Keroro blinked.

"Ah? Kodada-chan? In her Keronian form? This is a sight indeed!"

"You two are just like brothers!" Kodada giggled.

"W-We aren't!" Romama answered in a stutter.

"No, really, you are! It's cute!" Kodada giggled. "I guess… Keroro-san's having problems, too?"

"We all are, unfortunately," Keroro answered, his shoulders falling. "And my cheery, morale-boosting attitude isn't working as well as usual."

"I don't remember it ever helping…." Romama snorted, and walked over to the television. "…How is it that this is on every news channel?" he grumbled as he switched through the channels, clips and replays of the video replaying on all of the news programs still.

"I think some videos starting showing up online. I'm not really sure where it all started, though… It's so hard to tell with anonymous message board sites," Kodada answered, and took a seat in front of the television, as did Keroro.

"Kodada-chan goes on those?" Keroro asked in awe.

"Hehe, no, my bo-Brother likes them!" she answered. "He introduced me to a bunch of them, they're really big on this sort of thing!"

"Eh?" Romama gave an odd noise, something like a squeak.

"Ojiisama? What is it?"

"He… He was wearing a ring…." Romama muttered.

"A lot of men do nowadays. I hear it's fashionable."

"No… This was a special sort of ring…." Romama answered. "It… It was made by the same sort of aliens that made that collar I wore all of those years…."

"Gero?" Keroro blinked, and saw how genuinely shaken Romama had become by this.

And while this went on, Saburo stood up on the hill, not far from the apartments, and smiled, giving a chuckle, "….Looks like there's hard times to come yet…" he said to himself, then glanced at his cell phone; a new message from Kururu.

"DON'T EXPECT TO BE HEARING FROM ME. GOING TO BE BUSY."

"Well, if he's busy, that means they're all going to be busy," he said with a sigh of disappointment. "Eh? Hey, you're little brother's friend, aren't you?" he watched Chandi stomp up the hill, past him. "Hey, you wouldn't be up for a game of checkers, would you?"

"Mujhe akela chod do!" she barked back at him, and Saburo jerked his head back in surprise.

"Well, that's a language I haven't been cursed in before… Some other time, then!" he called out to her. She continued tromping along, "…As the days get shorter, we grow more frantic… 623…" he then put away his cell phone, and went the way opposite of Chandi.

"So are… You an alien or a human?" Frannie was frazzled now as she pointed to Mois.

"Ehehe… Could you say mentally drained?" Mois giggled.

Frannie continued to tour through the lab, looking numbly, while Mois's face showed a mixture of concern and unease. The twins and the Hinata siblings had been brought down, along with Fujuju. Kururu was in the lead, photographs beneath one arm.

He took a seat in his chair after they reached the lab, and Frannie looked down, noting the little pink Keronian toiling away on a small, ball-shaped device, "Lookit, they come in pink, too…"

"Is your sister all right?" Natsumi whispered to Oliver.

"Ah, she'll be fine. Reality is just crumbling around her is all."

"What is it you wanted to show us, Soucho?" Fuyuki asked, and Kururu began to type away.

"Kuku! Besides the insignia on the ring he was wearing, I finally managed to identify the other person in the shot…" up came the photo that laid tucked away in Fujuju's scarf, and the Keronian began to feel around for it immediately. Kururu passed it back to him nonchalantly while typing away nonstop with his other hand. "Kuku… It would appear as though the camera-person is someone well-known…."

"Eh?" Fuyuki's eyes went wide at the familiar shape. "A… A Keronian?!"

"Kuku! A familiar-looking one…. I thought you two would be related, I didn't think it would be this close," Kururu looked Fujuju, who stood there, numb.

"….I knew it…. I just… Don't think I wanted to believe it…." Fujuju muttered.

"Where are they at, anyway?" Natsumi wondered aloud, and Kururu smiled a bit wider.

"I thought you'd never ask, kuku!" Kururu chuckled, and continued typing. "It's a residential area… I have the home pinpointed…"

"Good. We'll go there and take care of it ourselves, then we can forget this ever happened," Natsumi cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck. "Everyone can stop acting so insane around here…."

"W-What, you're going yourself?!" Oliver asked, stunned.

"Sure? What's another stupid frog?"

"Nee-chan…" Fuyuki whispered. "It's… Fujuju Soucho's daughter…."  
Natsumi looked down, and could see the haunted look on Fujuju's face. The readhead's expression softened, and she relaxed a bit, "….I'm sure there's someone else behind this, making her do this against her will."

"I hope so," Fujuju said in a hushed tone.

"Come on," Maggie lifted him up and smiled. "I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding…. Fran, will you be all right here?"

"S-Sure!" Frannie answered. "You two have a good time!"

"I'll come! Could you say, the more the merrier?" Mois chimed in, hurrying after them.

"So… You're new to everything alien?" Kururu's voice was cheerful, a bit hopeful.

"Y-Yes?" Frannie slowly turned her head to Kururu.

"Kuku, that's good…." he said in a quiet tone, and hopped out of his chair. "I'll give you the tour…"

"You're nice," she said with a nervous smile, following behind Kururu. The yellow alien's glasses flashed, and he chuckled.

"Kuku, that's what they all say…." Kururu chuckled, then led her away from the lab area.

Kirere was left alone. She stood, leaving her project behind her.

Giroro yawned, and Neko gave a hopeful meow, rubbing against him. He nodded, shaking his head as he felt sleep coming on. He was taken aback by a pair of arms around him, and spun around. Kirere gave him a look of silent surprise, and he sighed, and lifted up the girl.

"What's this now? I thought you were too old for this sort of thing…" he sighed as she embraced him around the neck, still quiet.

"I don't know how to help out…" she said quietly, her eyes falling downward to the snowy ground.

Giroro was quiet for a while, trying to think of what he could tell the girl, "….Being prepared is helping."

"Huh?" Kirere glanced up at him curiously.

"Making sure everyone's ready for whatever comes their way is one of the most beneficial ways of helping out your teammates. You don't want to be stuck on the side of the mountain without rations, afterall!"

"I… So I have to help prepare?"

"Exactly," Giroro nodded, then lifted her off of his lap. "If you're doing that, then you're being a great help."

"Then… I'll do that," Kirere nodded. The glass door to the backyard slid, causing a disruption in the heavy snow. Natsumi stuck her head out and scanned the backyard until she saw Giroro at his fire pit.

"We found out where that signal's coming from, you want to go with us?"

"Of course!" he hopped up, his face flushed a bit. "I-I'll be right there!"  
Kirere gave a giggle after Natsumi shut the glass door, "Your way of helping is making sure she's all right."

"That…. That could be said to be true," Giroro admitted, his face still redder than the usual. "Where are you going?" he asked as she bolted for the door.

"To help out!" she answered, vanishing into the house. He gave a small laugh, and went to work preparing his arsenal.

"Hrm… No one's picking up! How am I supposed to know if there's an attack if no one keeps me updated?" Tamama wondered aloud, then went back to his bag of chips and his television program. "WHAT?! That's the chef you choose to faceoff against?! You're nowhere near as good as him, you're going to lose your ass on it!" he snarled, and threw a box of snacks angrily at the television and the cooking show he'd been watching. "….Might as well change it now…." he muttered, switching the channels.

Then the television went black. Tamama continued clicking through the channels, frustrated, and his anger level slowly rising, "Work! Come on!" he snarled, and stood to gauge the problem, "…I wonder if Kii-chi's still up to fix this…" He fell back in surprise as the TV switched back on the moment he touched the screen.

"K-Kezanstav-san!" Tamama looked up, wide-eyed at the single, smiling image. He stood, more unnerved as the image raised a hand and waved cheerfully at him. The image of Kezanstav then looked off to the right, as did Tamama. In the darkened bedroom, he could see a large grin. Tamama took a few steps back, and moments later, then screaming caused Momoka, Paul, and a bevy of bodyguards to run and descend into Tamama's room.

"Tama-chan?!" Momoka yelled out. But there was no Tamama. Only an opened window, and empty snack wrappers floating in the breeze.


	48. Keroro Shotai: Shotai Switchout! Pt1

Sorry 'bout the wait! A case of "one thing after another", if you would. I was doing so well at keeping up, too! : Ah, I disappoint myself. Anyway! I hope that you all enjoy this, and that I'll have my next part out even sooner!

Episode 24:

Keroro Shotai: Shotai Switchout!

Part 1

"And what do you think of this color instead?" Karara switched swatches, and Rokiki continued to look upward at the ceiling of the living room.

"It's fine," he muttered, and she only gave a giggle.

"It's okay to be nervous!" Karara exclaimed. "Maybe we should take a break. Oh?" she blinked as Rokiki stood and looked ahead blankly. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, then looked over to the bright-green girl.

"I think I just need to rest for the night. It's been a long day… Mora had the spare room set up for you, right? You have everything you need?"

"Mm-hm! Oh! I know, I'll ask her what she thinks about these cakes!"

"Karara, I wouldn't. Not tonight. She isn't… Mora isn't feeling well," Rokiki answered.

"Mm, she looked a little pale when I saw her. All right, tomorrow, then!" Karara shut the books and walked out of the bedroom, singing to herself. Rokiki slowly allowed his head to fall and rest atop the table after she had left.

"…I'm just overtired…" he said to himself, and stood. He shuffled over to a glass case against one wall, at looked over the old military uniform he'd worn with such pride in the past staring back at him. "….Might as well try it on before the wedding… Make sure I haven't lost too much weight it has to be taken in…."

He pulled it out, and put on most of the uniform, saving the skirt for last. When he went to wrap this around him, his eyes widened with horror at the realization that quickly washed over him; that, where it had fit him before, there was now a gap preventing it from wrapping around properly.

"H-H-How can this be? I-I gained weight?!" he squeaked. He pulled off the helmet, throwing it down and revealing his newer-style black one, and tossed aside the rest of the armor as he stomped towards the door. "It's her! Her and her wanting to get takeout every night instead of actually cooking! She did this to me! Well, she can pay the bill for the tailor! MORA! You-"

Rokiki didn't get to finish his sentence. The window to his room shattered open, and Rokiki turned around, startled. He dove underneath his bed, pulling out a long saber from beneath it, and jumped back up, ready to face his attack. This continued until Rokiki heard something like a high-pitched woman's voice, and moments later, all he saw was white.

"M-Mois-chan?! Is everything all right?!" Natsumi called from outside. Mois poked her head out and looked worriedly down at the group. "Did you and Giroro get him?!"

"Well…. Could you say, a bit of a surprise?"

"Here you go!" Karara set down a cup of tea on the table and sat, the tray she'd carried it in on still in her hands. "That doesn't hurt too much, does it?"

"I think you're meaning to give this to him," Giroro answered, sliding the cup over to the also-bandaged Rokiki. Both Keronians looked equally rough, covered in bandages and bruises from their altercation.

"The signal?! From our house?!" Mora was aghast in horror as she sat across from the rest of the group, seated around a low table in a room otherwise decorated with Indian-style artwork. Oliver glanced over at a large wall hanging in one corner until Maggie nudged him in the ribs, bringing him back to the conversation. "How is that possible? Is there something that they left here, or…?"

"Fuyuki, you're good at knowing about all of those occult things, do you know what it could be?" Natsumi asked, and Fuyuki frowned a bit in concentration.

"I don't think so, Nee-chan. It seems to be traveling a lot through electrical and satellite signals, though… Maybe some sort of electronic device?"

The children looked to Fujuju, who only looked offward, as if he himself was trying to decide what it could be.

"Well, I…. Honestly haven't the slightest idea," he admitted, and stood. "E-Excuse me. I think I need a moment to myself is all. My… Mind's not in this tonight."

"….Poor guy…" Oliver muttered as the chartreuse Keronian slunk out of the room.

"So this is Chandi-san's house…. I've never been here before…." Fuyuki said to himself, taking a moment to look at all of the decorations around the room.

"Mm. We traveled all over the world, but I've always loved India the best. I think it's because it's where I found Chandi. We may be in Japan, but I wanted her to know her culture, too," Mora explained. Her eyes then widened, and she gasped, rising from the table. "Chandi! She… She's still out there! I have to go find her!"

"I'll go," Rokiki grunted, rising from the table and giving a pained growl.

"Rokiki-kun, are you sure?" Mora turned around, and Rokiki sighed.

"Might as well. I don't have much longer to deal with that little brat, so I guess I'll call it our goodbye," he answered.

"It's not safe going anywhere too far from here by yourself. I'll go with you," Giroro stood.

"No. You stay with your daughter. She needs safety more than I do," Rokiki answered sternly, then was gone.

"….If I hadn't met Garuru myself, I'd swear that they were the ones who were brothers…" Natsumi sighed beneath her breath. "We're sorry we bothered you so much," she added, turning her attention back to Mora.

"No, don't worry, I like the distraction, really!" Mora waved at them and chuckled a very hollow chuckle. Karara caught wind of this, and tilted her head slightly; it was clear there was something off about the Maronian.

"We should get back. We left Kirere alone with Kururu and Chunini and who knows what they'd do watching her by themselves," Natsumi rose from the table, as did the others.

"I wouldn't be too worried, Fran's there, too," Maggie explained. All thought over the combination of Frannie alone with the two wicked Keronians for a moment, and all rushed out of the house, leaving Karara and Mora alone.

"That was a nice visit…. I hope they find out what caused that signal in time…" Mora said with a small smile. "I…. Should get back to work now. Valentine's Day is coming up, and there's so much to do!"

"Mora-san…" Karara called out, and Mora turned around to face her. "You…. You're not sad over something, are you?"

"Me? No. I'm fine, don't worry," Mora answered, and floated out of the room.

Natsumi was the first into the house, and as soon as she burst through, off went an alarm. Fuyuki was quick to follow, giving a cry of horror as a paint can on a string came flying towards his face. Natsumi quickly pushed him to the ground and both rolled away from it, while Maggie and Oliver both fell to the ground and crawled to reach the Hinata siblings.

Angol Mois remained on the porch with Fujuju, puzzled by this entire scene. Fujuju quickly began to search for his hammer, all while Mois transformed into her true form, and used the golden staff she carried to knock out the alarm system that had been set up; this took a reasonable chunk out of the wall, too. Fujuju stopped searching as the alarm gave one last wail, then died.

"W-What's going on here?!" Natsumi sputtered, rising to the ground. She smelt something in the air, originating from the kitchen, and turned around, jumping back in surprise at the large stack of canned meat in the living from. "What is this?!" she yelped.

"SPAM and rice!" came a voice from the kitchen, and the group wandered in, dazed, and saw Mahihi manning the kitchen stove, his infant son wriggling in one arm. "A little of this, a bowl of rice-Some egg and hot sauce, and you have a meal fit for a king!"

"….R-Really? This is cuisine in America now...?" Fujuju wondered aloud, taking the bowl and looking into it with disgust.

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, man!" Mahihi laughed. "So where have you kids been, anyway? Heard there was another scare! Oh, hey! Akamai-kun, you like food, right? Tell me what you think of it!" Fujuju went to protest, but as he opened his mouth, Mahihi had inserted a spoonful, SPAM and all, into Fujuju's mouth. The scientist took few chews, a hard swallow, then rushed to the bathroom, coughing and hacking the entire way.

"….I haven't seen him like that since he let you cook dinner…" Oliver muttered to Maggie.

"D-Did… You do this to our house, Mahihi-san?" Fuyuki asked.

"Me? Nah! It was that little girl, and the one Pekoponian, the one who with the big, goofy grin."

"….Suzuyama. Good. I've been looking for a reason to hurt him…" Natsumi said with a twitch of a smile, and Fuyuki latched on to his sister as she made her way to the inner rooms of the house, cracking her knuckles as she did so. "Suzuyama!" she called out.

"We better make ourselves scarce. Could you say, run to avoid disaster?" Mois chuckled.

"Right. We better go check on Fran while they sort this out," Maggie sighed. "Hopefully she's not too bad off!"

When the made it downstairs, the three blinked, taking in the situation. Frannie was on the ground, her legs folded beneath her, going over some sketches she'd drawn out. Kururu stood beside her on one side, watching her work, while Chunini stood on the other side, clearly interested.

"Then here-"

"We put the sparkles there, right?" Chunini pointed to a corner of the picture.

"No, no sparkles!" Frannie replied excitedly. "What you need is somethin' that'll totally stand out!"

"W-What's going on here?" Maggie led herself to be asked, and Frannie shot her head up, and looked to the twins with a smile.

"I got commissioned to make an album cover! You believe it?!" Frannie laughed excitedly.

"It's to help with my new image," Chunini looked up at the children. "Lee and I discussed it, and what better than a great big comeback album after a good period of hiding?"

"…She's never not thinking about how to make any situation into a profitable one…" Maggie sighed.

"My kind of Pekoponian, kuku!"

"Mine too," Chunini said with a giggle.

"Hehe-Wait, what?" Oliver's laugh immediately stopped as he say the look on Chunini's face.

"Could you say totally awkward?"

"And then, we had to call his Papa to get him out of the tree, because he was so afraid that he'd fall into the lake!" Kodada laughed, and Keroro joined in this laughter.

"Gero gero ge! Ojiisama really wasn't that brave as a child, I take it?"

"No, not really. One time his Nee-chan had to go beat up some kids who were bothering us. She took out four of them with a broom!"

"I… They were bigger than me…" Romama admitted sheepishly, flushing and looking down on the ground.

"And now he's got you to protect him, Keroro-san!" Kodada said brightly, and Keroro's laughter stopped.

"W-Well… Truth be told, Ojiisama's the one to usually come to our rescue… But if he ever needed it we'd certainly lend him a hand!"

"That's really nice. I was worried that Romama-kun… Wouldn't have anyone like that if he had survived the crash. It's so nice to know he does," Kodada said quietly.

"He's a liar," both looked to Romama. "…He and his friends have saved me plenty of times, too. They saved me from Nikolai… And saved him from himself… I need to get some fresh air…" he spoke quietly, and left the living room. The only sound was the front door shutting.

"….Poor Romama-kun…. He's so upset over all of this…." Kodada spoke softly.

"I can't say that I blame him, Kodada-dono… If Fuyuki-dono and I were to be in a similar situation, I'm not sure what my mindset would be," Keroro sighed. Both jumped at the sound of a yell, followed by a few crashing noises. Both Keronians rushed out the front door, and found no Romama there, but only a red bandanna.

"O-Ojiisama?!"

"Romama-kun?! Where are you?!" Kodada lifted up the bandanna, and looked to Keroro, teary eyed and panicked.

"L-Let's go find him! He can't be far!"

"Anddd this should do it. There, instant trip wire!" Haruki smiled at his work proudly, as did Kirere. Both sat up on either side of the clear wire, and Kirere looked up at Haruki hopefully.

"This'll keep anyone out, right?"

"Yup! Just… Have to remember that it's there before you come in through this door!" Haruki answered. "We used to do this sort of thing to some of my old professors all the time, hehe!"

"What'll it do, anyway?" Kirere asked. Haruki lifted her up and placed her on his shoulder, and the two walked away from the door. They heard the door slide open, and this was followed by a splash, and then this was followed by a loud, high-pitched scream. Both looked, and could see the entire bucket of water that they'd set up, in case of intruders, had instead fallen onto and drenched Giroro.

"Kuku! Looks like your color's finally normal, Senpai, although you did look good in purple, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled. Giroro only remained shaking on the couch, wrapped in numerous blankets, and a hot water pack atop his head. Haruki and Kirere sat side by side, Natsumi in front of them, chiding both of them; her angrier chiding was completely directed at Haruki.

"…We were just trying to help…." Kirere said quietly.

Natsumi sighed, and her expression softened, "…It's all right… You just took Giroro's words too seriously. YOU, though, you idiot! You should know better!"

"She'd make a great college professor…." Haruki muttered quietly to himself, hanging his head. "Every time I get yelled at she makes me feel like I'm back in school…."

"I… I'm really sorry…" Kirere said quietly as she walked over to Giroro. "Are… Are you okay?" he answered with a sneeze. "Kire? I know what to get you!" she gasped happily, and snapped her fingers. "Curry always makes me feel better! I'll be right back!"

"I'll get some more blankets! Could you say a couple of natural caretakers?" Mois chuckled, following Kirere.

"W-W-Wait, Kirere!" Giroro began a panicked protest, but she was gone.

"You're gonna have to eat it~ Kukuku!" Kururu said in a sing-song tone to Giroro. Giroro removed the hot water pack from the top of his head, and slung it at Kururu's face. It hit the scientist, and he went falling back.

"Well, it's strange that that signal came from Mora-san's house, but… It doesn't seem like anything else bizarre has happened…. Maybe freak electrical signals?" Fuyuki wondered aloud. "….No, that can't be it…. Eh?" he turned his head at the sound of a frantic knocking, and got up to answer the door.

"Fuyuki-kun?! Have you seen Tama-chan?! I can't find him anywhere!"

"Hrm… Gunso's not picking up…." Fuyuki looked down at his phone, then back to Natsumi and Momoka.

"They're probably together watching a movie… Stupid Frog probably just has his phone switched off is all so he wouldn't be bothered in the middle of it," Natsumi huffed. "Eh? Giroro? Where are you going?" she asked, noting the red Keronian slipping out of his blankets and onto the floor.

"Kirere's been gone a while. That isn't like her. I'm going to check on her…"

"Knowing her, she got lost, kuku!"

"Giro? What, are you going to check, too?" Giroro asked as he noticed Kururu following behind.

"Kuku! Just making sure she isn't making a mess of things is all…." Kururu chuckled, and followed Giroro from the living room, into the base through the fridge. The first thing that they noticed was the looming pitch black all around them. Even the emergency lights had failed to turn on. Two beams lit the darkened path, and Kururu chuckled, adjusting his glasses, the source of the light.

"I knew this would be helpful someday, kuku!"

"Gah! Just keep those out of my eyes!"

"You mean don't face you, like this?"

"I swear Kururu, I-Eh?"

"Neh?" Kururu stopped. He had heard the groaning metal noise, too, it was clear. Giroro pulled a gun, and held it in front of him as they continued slowly down the hall. There was a noise from behind them, and Giroro spun around, while Kururu turned his head at the same noise, more slowly than Giroro had.

The dual screams that followed fell on deaf ears; the two were down much too deep for anyone to hear them.

Chandi continued to type away on the laptop, although her eyes eventually did glance up above the screen, and met the familiar violet ones of Rokiki. She went back to typing after silently acknowledging him.

"You're worrying your mother. You ought to be ashamed, running off like that at this time in the evening," he said with a grumble, taking a seat beside her.

"You're the one who's abandoning her…" Chandi shot back. "And you don't even care about the girl you're marrying."

"Love will come eventually," Rokiki reassured her.

"I don't doubt you. But are you two even a good match, or are you settling?" Chandi returned, and stopped typing briefly. "…Why are you doing it, anyway?"

"Getting married? I'm old," Rokiki shut his eyes and sighed. "…If you say anything to anyone about this, they'll never find your body."

He pulled out from beneath his helmet a folded sheet of paper. Chandi unfolded it, and skimmed over it.

"Do you know what it says?" he asked, and she only shook her head. "…It's a deed to some land my tribe was given, millions of years ago. It's still in effect. I'd need good lawyers, ones I couldn't afford… Even if I could get proof by DNA that I was a member of the tribe, and I could… It'd still be such a battle…."

"So you're marrying her so you can get your stupid land back," Chandi answered calmly, and Rokiki looked up at her sharply.

"That… And with the way I look, it's a wonder anyone wants to marry me in the first place. There's nothing stupid about it when it's all that's left of my family!" he snapped. "You have-HEY!" he yelled as she tossed the laptop at him. He dodged out of the way just in time to see it sail by, and looked at Chandi, half-stunned, half-enraged.

"I don't have any idea! You're right!" Chandi yelled, and loomed over him. "But you're such an idiot you can't even see how much you've made for yourself here! You're just… Too stuck in the past! It's not coming back, when will you understand that!?"

She lifted her laptop up, and trudged away with it. Rokiki remained there, silent, only shaken by the cool gust of wind that passed him.

"This should do," Dororo picked off a few more berries from the branches and tossed them in the basket at his side, smiling at his small harvest proudly. "They won't make for a meal, but perhaps help with seasoning. Lupapa-dono, are you all right with this cold?"

"It's…. Not so bad, really…." Lupapa said with a small smile, glancing at Dororo from beneath her heavy coats. "…Is everyone always so calm when there's such a feeling of danger?"

"It may seem peculiar, but it's important sometimes to go on with life while preparing for the worst," Dororo answered. "Even in the face of adversity, life still goes on."

"I suppose that's right," Lupapa nodded in agreement. "Eh? What's this plant?" she reached out to touch it, but Dororo stopped her, placing a hand atop hers.

"I-It's a dangerous plant, is all," he explained, stuttering in sudden embarrassment at his actions.

She went to speak, but this was interrupted by a noise, one they both heard. This was followed up be familiar smells, and Lupapa stood back quietly, along with Dororo at her side. Koyuki, inside the ninja hideout, also felt a disturbance, and from her meditation, bolted out of the home, toward Dororo and Lupapa.

What Koyuki came to was a crumpled pile of black cloth on the forest floor. The ninja girl bent down, sniffed the pile, and jerked back a bit as Lupapa rolled over, onto her back. The purple Keronian sat up slowly, cradling her head, and looked around, growing more panicked as she saw only Koyuki sitting beside her in the snow.

"D-Dororo? Where's Dororo?" she stood up, and looked about frantically.

Dororo was gone. There were no footprints in the snow leading away from the place Koyuki and Lupapa stood, and the trees were silent, aside from a small breeze that passed by. Koyuki caught something flying in the branches of one of the trees, and hopped up, floating back down and studying the gray material. It was the material of Dororo's mask.

Fujuju kicked at a bit of snow on the roof, and shivered. He dug into his scarf, and pulled them out. A pack of matches. He studied them for a few moments, contemplating. The whole place would look so much nicer if it were a bit brighter…

He nearly fell off of the roof, but caught himself last minute, as there was a rush past him; it felt like a warm gust of wind, and as it passed him, it looked like a blackened shadow. He frowned with worry. He looked over the side of the house, and saw two Keronians running up to it; Keroro and Kodada. He stood, and looked down at them silently.

"Romama Shosa's missing too?" Fuyuki's eyes widened, and Keroro panted, clutching his knees and attempting to regain his breath. The entire trip back to the Hinata household he and Kodada had run.

"I… This might be serious, after all!" Keroro muttered. "Fuyuki-dono! I… I have to get to work, I hope you'll excuse me! Kodada-chan, you can help me out, if you wouldn't mind!"

"Sure thing," Kodada nodded, and followed close behind Keroro's heels.  
Keroro rushed to his room and the slamming of his door could be heard. Natsumi blinked with shock.

"….If Stupid Frog's actually working, maybe this is really serious…." Natsumi murmured.

"First Tamama-chan, now Romama Shosa…" Fuyuki mumbled, and rose. "Nee-chan, I've got to research this! I have to go do some work, too!"

"F-Fuyuki-kun, would it be all right if maybe… Tried to help?" Momoka asked weakly, her face flushing.

"Nishizawa-san... Of course you can! Come on, we'll start on my forums, and see if they've gotten any additional information!"  
Natsumi watched them rush up the stairs, and she was alone in the living room.

"They'll be fine," Natsumi spun around at the sound of a voice, and Mahihi stood there. His baby was strapped to his back now, and wriggling and crying. In his hands he held two cups of tea. He took a seat on the couch and set the cups on the table. "As long as they stick together, they'll come out all right. You guys have been through this sort of thing before?"

Natsumi took a seat across from Mahihi, and watched as he removed the baby from his carrier and smiled at the crying infant. Mahihi rocked the Keronian-looking child back and forth as Natsumi sipped her tea.

"…I once knew a person who taught me that family isn't always a group of people you're born into…" Mahihi explained. "Your friends can be as good as your family…. Everyone here might have their problems, but anyone would do anything for one another… I'm thinking that that might even mean you, Natchi-chan."

"For Stupid Frog? Get serious…" Natsumi snorted.

"Yeah…. I think that's what that person would say now, too…." Mahihi sighed, then rocked the baby quietly.

Haruki looked to his left, and right, and then to the side of the building. He sighed with relief then turned back around, and pulled out from one of the pockets of his jeans a single cigarette, "…I hope she'll understand this is all because of stress, and… Eh?" on the other side of the house he could see it, a single pale wave of smoke. He looked to the side, and saw Fujuju standing with his back turned to the mechanic.

"I had no idea you guys did that sort of thing, too…" Haruki muttered, and Fujuju jumped, the cigarette falling from his hand.

"D-Don't tell anyone you saw that, please! I… I haven't in years, I…"

"No problem," Haruki held up his hands, quickly tossing his own unlit cigarette in the yard as he noticed it in one hand. "…It's because of your daughter, right?"

"That…" Fujuju spoke softly, and glanced up at Haruki gravely, "And I'm near-certain I know what we're up against…. And… It's much worse than I thought."

"Are…. Meetings usually like this?" Kodada asked Keroro quietly. Keroro stood at the podium, Kodada at his side… In an otherwise empty meeting room.

"This… Is quite unusual…. I paged everyone… I even remembered Dororo!" Keroro said, and frowned. He hopped off of the podium and made his way out of the room. "…They must be busy looking for Tamama. But there's no sense in starting a search party without some sort of order!"

"…That's something Romama-kun would say," Kodada said quietly.

"We… We'll get him, Kodada-chan. Not to worry," Keroro looked about the lab, and shivered. It was darker than usual. "Gero… Kururu Soucho must be finally taking part in conserving resources, it's so dim down here!"

"Maybe we could find a flashlight?"

"Good thinking, Koda-chan! If I'm not mistaken, Kururu Soucho keeps them in here…" Keroro pulled open, with a bit of effort, one of the nearby closets in the lab. Among the folded kotatsu were also four tied and bound Pekoponians, and one Keronian, Chunini. Keroro gave a sigh and shut it again, "Not here… Gero!?" he yelped, and threw open the closet again.

"I should have gotten him… I was down on my guard. Forgive me, Miss Chu, you'll have my resignation promptly on Monday," said Lee in a stern tone, bowing in front of Chunini.

"I-It's all right, Lee, really…." Chunini reached over, and lifted up Lee's face with her hands. "You did your best, that's what matters."

"Not that good if someone came in under her nose…. We didn't even see what happened to us, really!" Frannie mumbled, and rubbed her newly-freed wrists. Lee looked at the young woman with a glare.

"N-Now, let's just settle down!" Kodada held up her hands to all the parties and laughed nervously.

In another part of the room, Fujuju was back downstairs, talking to the children. He was in full worry mode.

"I shouldn't have left your sight, even for as long as I did!" Fujuju said in a panic to them. "You're sure you're both all right?"

"We're fine… But why do you smell like an ashtray?" Oliver asked. Fujuju jerked his head back, and blushed, having been caught.

"Mois-dono.…. Tamama, Kirere, Giroro, Kururu... Ojii-sama… And probably Dororo, too," Keroro's voice was quiet, and grabbed the attention of everyone in the lab. "They… They're all missing now…. Fujuju Soucho, you said you might know who did this?"

"Yes. But… I very much hope I'm mistaken," Fujuju answered. "It's powerful."

"It?" Maggie repeated. "What is it?"

Fujuju went to explain this, but the flickering computer screens drew all of their attention away from the chartreuse Keronian, and now to the familiar smiling blonde boy. Nikolai's shoulders and face took up the entirety of the screen, and a solid black background behind the boy. He smiled and waved happily at his audience.

"I hope I'm not disrupting anyone!" Nikolai said cheerfully. "Good evening, Japan! Me again! I hope you're all doing well! I just thought I'd thank the Sergeant for allowing me to borrow a few of his friends!"

"G….Gero…?"

"Hehe! Well, I figured, you have a nice team, and I want to take over myself, so I'd borrow them! Thank you, Sergeant Keroro! Don't worry, I'm treating everyone very well! A lot better than that other Nikolai treated his one friend…. I guess you figured out that I'm not really him now…. Oh, well, it's a nice disguise at least, don't you think?! They're all really strong, even stronger than I thought! I was surprised!... You're probably still worried about them, aren't you? I'll show you that they are. Well, my cameraman can. They probably won't feel like talking."

Nikolai moved away, and in the dark-painted room there was his platoon, as well as Mois, and one familiar brown-cloaked figure standing in the middle of them.

It was his platoon, but they looked very, very different.


	49. Keroro Shotai: Shotai Switchout! Pt2

The faces that looked back at Keroro were dull, emotionless…. He recognized the outfits, certainly, as the one they'd worn once before on Old Keron. Mois, too was dressed in clothing from that same time period.

Her outfit was in the fashion of an ancient Angol woman; a silver, black, and purple ensemble with the same onion-dome hat, but a longer, dark purple cape and an outfit more closely resembling that of when she'd nearly destroyed the planet.

One thing they all had in common were the golden collars, the same kind that Keroro had seen before-When they had first found Romama under the control of Kezanstav.

Physically a few of them had changed as well. Kirere, Tamama, Mois… They were all in adult forms.

"….How serious Tamama-chan looks…." Keroro muttered, the dull expression of Tamama not escaping him.

Nikolai stepped in front of the camera again, and gave a small laugh, "I know. It's a bit to take in. They seem happy, though! ….We've heard about you, Sergeant. We've seen how powerful your platoon can be…. We've seen the resources this planet has, resources you've failed to take yourself… You wasted good warriors. Not to offend anyone, but they work much better than the other Keronians I could have taken. We'll put them to good use."

These were the final words the Nikolai imposter gave before the screens went back to normal. All were silent, and slowly moved their eyes from the television, to Keroro. Footsteps were heard not long afterward, and Fuyuki, Momoka, and Natsumi bounded in, Koyuki and Lupapa leading behind.

"Gunso! We saw Kezanstav-san on the-" Fuyuki began.

"He was on the televisions everywhere!" Natsumi finished.

"Was that really Tama-chan and everyone?!" Momoka asked frantically.

"I… Need time to think…." Keroro numbly sulked away from the group, his eyes on the ground. The door shut behind him, and there was again silence.  
"Well, we're in for it," Chunini huffed, and took a seat on the floor cross-legged.

"Like hell we are!" Lupapa snarled. "Just because you're ready to call it in doesn't mean I am! You just don't like the sound of work!"

This bickering continued to escalate until another, deeper voice yelled out, "Everybody. SHUT. UP!" Mahihi stood in the doorway, frowning and annoyed. Waikiki wiggled in his arms, crying, "You're upsetting the baby! …I saw it, too… Whoever that kid is, he's lucky he's there and not here right now."

"With everyone gone like that… Oliver shook his head. "This ain't good at all…"

"No. It's not, but…. Stupid Frog will think of something. If not, he's got dumb luck on his side," Natsumi added, and Fuyuki blinked, taken aback by Natsumi's vote of confidence.

"Maybe… Just maybe…. He can have a little more than luck this time," Fujuju said quietly, thoughtfulness in his voice.

"…I think I see what you're saying and I like it," Mahihi patted Fujuju on the head. "I've got to go hunt down my idiot. You, Red, watch Waikiki for me, all right?"

"W-What, me?!" Natsumi yelped as Mahihi handed the baby off to her.

"Yeah, you'll be a natural!" Mahihi answered, and walked out of the base.  
"…We better go see him about it, then," Lupapa sighed. "…Much as I'll hate having to work with you again, Chunini."

"What are you guys going to do?" Natsumi asked.

"Well… He doesn't have a platoon, and we're a platoon…. So I suppose substitute," Lupapa muttered, walking past Natsumi and the other Pekoponians.

"Boy, and I thought giant lizards were the most of Japan's troubles…" Frannie said with a nervous chuckle. Both Oliver and Maggie gave exhausted sighs.

Maggie placed a hand over her forehead, "Fran, that's so…."

"….She really needs to get out more," Oliver sighed.

"I better go put him down for a nap," Natsumi rocked the baby a bit, and looked back to Fuyuki before leaving. "Fuyuki… When you see Stupid Frog, don't tell him I actually supported him on something, all right? I don't want him to get an ego over it, and I know he will."

"…R-Right, Nee-chan," Fuyuki nodded.

Keroro gripped onto the old photograph, while his other hand propped him up against the wall of his room. Giroro, Zeroro, and himself as children… Pinned to it were other, smaller photos… Fuyuki and Natsumi, Mois and Kururu, Tamama, Romama, Kirere…

"I'm sorry, everyone…" he sniffed. "But… I don't think I know what to do this time…. I don't have a plan, or… Or anything, for that matter… I'm so sorry."

"Keroro-san?" Keroro leapt at the sound of his name, and spun around. Kodada looked at him worriedly, and Keroro quickly wiped his eyes dry and gave his usual cheerful smile, hiding the picture behind his back while doing so.

"Ah, Kodada-dono… Going home to protect your family?"

"Not quite," Lupapa passed them and sighed. "We'll be waiting back downstairs, Kodada."

"All right. Make sure Fujuju-san's ready too, Lupapa-san, Nee-chan," Kodada nodded ,then looked back to the puzzled Keroro. "We…. Figured since they're all people we care about, too, we'd help you out, Keroro-san… If… If that's all right with you…."

"Help me?"

"Mm. We're a platoon, and, while we never went on as many missions as yours, we're still soldiers," Kodada answered. "We're willing to help… If you want us to."

"I… Kodada-dono…" Keroro gaped at this, and Kodada remained apprehensive, which was replaced by a surprised yell as Keroro lifted up Kodada into a hug and spun her around, cheering while he did so.

"I thought he was supposed to be some kind of genius…" Natsumi stood, watching Fujuju work, the Martin twins standing at her side. Fujuju typed on the computer keyboard, giving a yelp as a certain group of keys he pressed set off a group of alarms. After another few taps, the alarm switched off, and he gave a sigh of relief, slinking down in what was normally Kururu's seat.

"He is, but… He ain't really one to keep up with technology," Oliver admitted. "He's sort of difficult to take to change. His computer at home runs on DOS."

"How does this….?" he pressed another key, and now another set of alarms went off. Maggie rushed over to him, and shut off the alarms.

"T-Thank you very much, Margaret…" Fujuju breathed heavily, and rubbed his forehead. "I'll be able to get this; it'll just take me a few moments… The incredible thing is these were the sorts of technologies we were only beginning to create when I was in the military. It's quite a bit to learn in a little bit of time."

"You'll get it," Maggie smiled at him, "I'll even help you if you want."  
"It'd be greatly appreciated," he scooted over a bit in the seat, closer to her, and together they continued to browse through the files.

"I never knew Maggie was good at this sort of thing!" Frannie passed them and stopped, wide-eyed in amazement.

"She was always the smarter one, heh…." Oliver scratched the back of his head, and Frannie looked at her younger brother, a sour look upon her face. "What?"

"You don't have some sort of hidden talent like that, too, do ya?"

"N-No…"

"Well, why not?!"

"I-It doesn't exactly work like that, Fran…"

"Eh?" Natsumi spun around at the sound of a booming noise. "W-What was that?"

Fujuju glanced up at the ceiling, and a few small bits of tile and dirt fell down. "….Kodada-chan practicing, I'd imagine…"

"Oh that was the wrong one…." Kodada held up a hand to her face and slowly looked up at the back cameras; the ship's back rockets had flared while it still stood in its docking bay, singeing the metal and giving it a thick, black soot cover.

The door to the ship opened, and Keroro coughed, covered in the same black soot, and collapsed on the floor. Kodada immediately rushed over to him, and helped him to stand.

"K-Kodada-chan… We don't usually do that until we're in orbit…." Keroro coughed.

"I… I know…. I'm sorry, Kero-san. I think I just became a little nervous, is all…" Kodada admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. "I've… Never been really good under pressure… Not to mention I've never flown a spacecraft this modern."

"It… It's no problem, Koda-chan," Keroro coughed a bit, then rested against the controls of the ship, the same blocky green ship that was often used as their main transport. "As long as you'll be able to get a good handle of it quickly, gerogero…."

"I… Might be able to…" Kodada looked down at the controls, and gripped her fists. "I… Like I said, I'm not good with pressure. The last time I was, I… I crashed us all…"

"Kodada-chan…. You… You'll do just fine! It's just a matter of believing in yourself! Ojiisama does!"

The mention of Romama gave Kodada a surprised look, and she nodded quietly.

Keroro thought for a moment, then it struck him, looking at the sad orange Keronian, "Kodada-chan! I think I have a solution to this! Follow me!"

"Thought I'd find you up here…" Rokiki turned to the voice, and yelped and fell to the ground at the sucker punch to his arm that followed. "There! Been wanting to do that for ages!" Mahihi rubbed his aching knuckles, then took a seat on the ground, while Rokiki stood over him, enraged and clutching his right arm, which was in throbbing pain.

"What the hell was that for!? I was already attacked once tonight!"

"Did it knock any sense into you?" Mahihi looked over to Rokiki dully. "…I didn't think so. We need your help."

"And that's how you go about asking for it? Forget it," Rokiki grumbled.  
"…So you're getting married. You love her?"

"Why's everyone asking that tonight?! It's none of your business, anyway."

"Aw, I think the first person you had a crush on has a right to know, you know. It's only right."

"Crush?! It wasn't a crush; I just looked up to you!"

"Relax, I'm just kidding. And you were short, you couldn't help it," Mahihi chuckled, then looked out at the Japanese city in front of them. "…I know you don't like Pekoponians. I know you don't like much, and… You probably don't like me anymore, either. I don't blame you. I should have listened to you when you were mad, tried to talk with you… That's in the past now, though, and… My family's here right now. Everyone I love is here, Rokiki. If our friendship has ever meant anything to you…. I'd hope you'd help at least a little bit. Lupapa-chan's boyfriend is in trouble, so is Romama's nephew's platoon. I know you don't like them much, either, but… Do it for Lupapa, if not me."

Mahihi stood once more, and began to walk away from the red Keronian.

"I'll think about it," Rokiki called out.

"That's my Roki-kun," Mahihi chuckled, and looked to the side. "How was it they pronounced your name again? Your parents…."

"Rohokohiki."

"…That's a mouthful. And I speak Hawaiian," Mahihi muttered. "I was just trying to remember."

Mahihi whistled as he walked away, leaving Rokiki alone once more. This didn't stop the Keronian from turning around suddenly, the feeling that he was still being watched looming over him. There was no one there.

"Damn it," he grumbled, then stomped away.

"Hrm?" Aya rubbed her ear, and sighed. "…The battery must be dying…" she muttered, adjusting the input on the hearing aide. She continued down the dark streets, and gave a yawn. "Little Angel, if you're there, you should be resting, not following me. It's early in the morning already… My mother would be so angry if she caught me out… But with rehearsals…. Why do I have a feeling like you're here, but you're a million miles away right now?" she gave a chuckle, and adjusted the bag over her shoulder. "….I hope you're all right. I wish you'd answer, so I know you were… OOMPH!"

Aya fell back onto the ground, feeling like she'd been bowled over by a train. Instead, her eyes meant that of a darker-skinned girl, who looked like she'd been pulled out of her own thoughts in crashing into the tiny ballerina. Before Aya could speak, the girl, around her age, reached out and pulled her back up.

"I'm so sorry! Are… Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Aya nodded, and brushed herself off. "What are you-" but the girl with the Indian accent was off again. Aya continued walking, then stopped; the mystery girl had stopped a little further down the same street, and appeared to be arguing with a shrub on the corner.

"You idiot! You'll get spotted like that!" Chandi snarled at the bush. Aya watched as she bent down, and lifted something dark red into her bag. The bag moved for a moment before settling, and Chandi tossed it onto her back. While whatever it was was lifted into the backpack, for a split second, Aya could see a flash of violet-colored eyes. The Indian girl then started off again, grumbling to herself, and walked over to one of the houses across the street from Aya's apartment.

The ballerina slipped into her own apartment quietly, and quietly began to dress for the day in her bedroom; her day had started hours before it usually would; she'd awoken early to get extra practice in. As a result, she'd recorded most of the television programs she watched. So she switched these on as she got ready for the day, and glanced back at the television occasionally.

She did a double-take as she saw the bizarre scene with the blonde-haired boy play out on the screen. She watched as he pulled away from the camera, revealing his small army, and her eyes locked on the golden ones of the tiny figure in the forefront.

She knew exactly who this was. He didn't have to say anything…. She knew.

"Eh?" Mora shot her head up, and rushed to the door. She looked first in the peephole, then threw it open, embracing Chandi tightly. "Where have you been?! I've been so worried! You know I hate it when!-"

"I brought him home," Chandi pulled off the backpack on her back, and out stepped Rokiki, "We were both on our way here, he was taking longer so he wouldn't get spotted."

"You can go ahead and ground her… I'll be busy…" Rokiki walked past Mora, Chandi, and Karara, without another word. Mora winced as the door to his bedroom slammed shut, and looked to the stairwell, then to Chandi. "I… I'll be back in just a second, all right? Be busy thinking about how worried you made me."

Chandi nodded, and Karara watched this all quietly with confusion. She then gave a small giggle and said to herself, "I see…"

"Rokiki-kun?" Mora knocked on the door, and Rokiki sighed, shutting his eyes as moments later the door opened and Mora peeked through quietly. "Are you all right?"

"I've got to go help them… They've gotten themselves into another mess, and Mahihi's talked me into helping… So again I'm going along with an idiot scheme of his," Rokiki answered, and continued to pick up the pieces of his old uniform from the floor and place it in the glass case it was kept in. "….This could be really bad. If you were smart you would take Chandi, Karara, and get as far away from here as you could. It's not safe for anyone right now, especially anyone in contact with that group of lunatics."

"Rokiki-kun, I…" Mora placed a hand on his shoulder, and he slowly turned around, puzzled by this action. Mora placed her other hand on one of the Keronian's cheeks, bent down, and kissed him briefly. "I…. Hope you find everything you were looking for… Stay safe. Please," she said quietly, and then she was gone from the room.

Rokiki gave a noise that most closely resembled a small, speechless squeak, "What... What just happened now?..."

"Eh?" Kodada blinked, and poked at the large bubble. The sleeping creature inside it stirred a bit, and one red eye at the edge of its teal helmet opened to study her.

"Neh? Oh! Gyororo-dono! We keep forgetting he's still down here… We should really do something about him one of these days," Keroro muttered, then continued down the darkened store room. Lining the walls were boxes and inventions, all remnants of failed invasion attempts. And at the very end of the storeroom there stood a massive disk-shaped object covered in a sheet. A dramatic tear away of the sheet was followed by coughing fits from both Keroro and Kodada; it'd been a while since the storeroom had been dusted, it was clear.

"My ship!" Kodada gasped happily at the sight of it.

"Kodada-chan, do you think you might have an easier time piloting this?" Keroro asked, following Kodada into the ship's interior. Kodada looked about the circular inside, a bit worried as she looked over the controls. Some of them were damaged from the crash, others just old with age.

"I… I'm not sure… It looks a bit damaged from the last fight… Maybe I can do some repairs, but there aren't any guarantees," Kodada admitted. "Still, there's always a chance, so…. We'll take it!"

"Some chance is more than we usually work with…" Keroro muttered.

"Let's go tell everyone else!" Kodada said excitedly. "We'll be fine for sure, now!"

Chunini circled Lupapa, Lupapa gripped her staff and stared down the yellow Keronian. Mahihi and Fujuju watched this worriedly from the sidelines. Neither of the men were sure how the fight started, only that both of the women looked equally ready to finish it.

"Guys, there isn't any time for this!" Mahihi snapped to them.

"There's always time for this, isn't there, Lupa-chan?" Chunini giggled.

"Ladies, if we could please-" Fujuju started. Lupapa lunged for Chunini, but Chunini quickly hopped out of the way. Fujuju gave a yelp, and Mahihi pulled him out by the scarf just in time to not be struck by Lupapa's weapon.

"Hey, come on!" Mahihi snapped. "My daughters are better behaved than you two!"

"Heh! It's no wonder they took that other platoon! You all would never be able to work with one another!" the voice of Rokiki was unmistakable, and both Chunini and Lupapa looked up from their battle to the red Keronian. A calm smile appeared on Mahihi's face.

"I knew my idiot would show up… And he has," Mahihi laughed. "What changed your mind?"

"Have I ever needed a reason for anything I do?" Rokiki sighed as he walked past the women and took his place beside Mahihi.

"You've got a point there…."

"Now I don't like that idiot nephew of Romama's, but he knows more about this terrain than any of us… He's your superior for the time being and if there's any fighting amongst the ranks like this again, you can answer to me," Rokiki snapped.

"Mm, Roki-chan smells like perfume!" Chunini sniffed the air and giggled. Rokiki gave a small yelp, and his eyes shot over toward the women. His face flushed a bit at the interested eyes that were now on him, "My guess is a newfound love helped him decide!"

"Everyone, come up here!" Kodada shouted out from across the large room in the base. "Keroro-san's found something great!"

"I hope it's an unopened bottle of a decent vintage …" Rokiki muttered as he trudged along, "…I really can't believe you talked me into this, Mahihi…"

"You knew you'd come," Mahihi laughed, and patted him on the back.

"Don't rub it in. Please don't. It'll just make me change my mind."

"What… On… HEY!" Natsumi shouted, and slid open the glass doors. "What do you think you're doing, you pervert?!" she shouted, and Haruki turned around, a clothespin still in his mouth.

"It's just sheets… I didn't think you'd mind if I hung them to dry… This whole "end of the world" thing has made everyone forget about the less important things…"

"They're my sheets!" Natsumi snapped.

"Sorry…" his arms fell a bit, and he looked back into the house, where Fuyuki and Momoka worked frantically, looking through all of Fuyuki's material for any help. Even Koyuki and Oliver had joined in, the ninja girl looking through ancient scrolls, and Oliver carrying down more books. The blonde boy was in the process of bringing down another large stack when he lost his balance and fell, sending the books, folders, and other materials flying everywhere.

While this went on, Frannie worked in the kitchen, bringing horrific-looking snacks to the group, while Lee sat at the table, polishing her weapons, all laid out on rags. At the moment, she was polishing a large hunting knife, "…You ever get the feeling that you're being totally useless?"

"What are you talking about?" Natsumi's harsh expression faded slowly as she watched Haruki's own features change. They looked worried. He continued hanging the sheets as he began talking again.

"…When I was little, I didn't have control of much. I didn't have a say about going to live with my Oba-chan, even if I did like it… I didn't have a say about leaving her, either. Even when I was a teenager and my Dad told me I was going to medical school, I had to go. I thought at maybe if I ran away from all of that, I'd be able to finally control things. Like a responsible adult, you know? …I'm the only one not being that…"

Natsumi sighed, "Quit feeling sorry for yourself. You'll be even less helpful that way."

"I guess, maybe part of me is being a worried parent, too, hehe…. That's a new feeling to me…. But it's the only friend I have in trouble, and I can't really do anything about it…. I have to wonder how much I made my Grandma feel like this."

"A worried…?" Natsumi shook her head, and turned around, and walked back into the house. She stuck her head out the glass doorway a few moments later. "If you really want to be helpful, you could… Finish folding the laundry. Then work on the washer, it's not sounding right."

Haruki perked up at this, and nodded, then went back to hanging up the sheets, "I'll be right in!"

"…This is about as bad as looking back at old school photos, don't you think, Lupa-chan?" Chunini sighed as she ran her hand over her control panel in front of her seat.

"I wouldn't know. My family was too poor to afford them," Lupapa answered, and rose, walking toward the front of the ship to inspect it. Mahihi and Fujuju sat in their seats, while Kodada sat in the pilot's seat, checking over the controls. Beside he was Keroro, overseeing this intently.

"It… It looks like it'll fly!" Kodada said cheerfully.

"Good. Fujuju Soucho, have you located where the signals were coming from?" Rokiki walked around the circular inside of the ship, and both Fujuju and Mahihi turned around. "I-I mean… Teicho, don't you think it would be a good idea to ask Fujuju Soucho about the location of the signals?" he shifted his gave over to Keroro, and Keroro turned around.

"Teicho?" Keroro looked to his left, then right, then pointed to himself. "Gero? You were talking to me, Rokiki-dono?"

Rokiki grit his teeth, and shook a bit, "…Yes…. You…." he hissed.

"Eh, Fujuju Soucho! What Rokiki Tai asked!"

"I've narrowed it down to an area it could be located in," Fujuju said with an affirming nod, typing away at the keyboard in front of him. "This technology's old, but it still does the trick! It's just like I tell the children all of the time, just because something's old doesn't mean-"

"F-Fujuju Soucho, that's fine, could you just tell us where it is?" Keroro chuckled, and Fujuju stopped, flushed, and cleared his throat.

"Yes, well…. Here," he pointed to a map on his screen sheepishly. "We'll have to go in, as we don't want to harm any of them… More than likely, Rita's under control, much like your platoon."

"We'll do what we can to avoid our own platoon getting put in harm's way," Rokiki corrected him, and Fujuju's smile fell.

"That's the opposite of a rescue mission, then!" Lupapa barked.

"…I want to trade my own platoon back now…." Keroro said quietly as the bickering continued among the group.

"All RIGHT!" Mahihi clapped his hands together and stood, silencing the others. "The next person to say anything goes in a corner to think about what they did! We're not going to kill anybody! Now he's the boss, so you listen to him! He doesn't look like much, and… He acts like an idiot, I'll admit. It scares me someone gave him any kind of control. But Aka Baka trusts him, so I do, too!"

"Mahihi-dono, I know you were trying to help just now, but… That was incredibly backhanded…" Keroro muttered, his shoulders slumping forward.

"We should be ready to go, Kero-san!" Kodada called out.

"Eh?" there came a knocking on the hatch of the ship, and Rokiki walked over to it, opening it. In walked Fuyuki, a backpack in his hands. He was followed by Natsumi, who stood next to him.

"Gunso, I… This will help you, I think," Fuyuki held up the backpack, and Keroro's eyes sparkled at recognition of the sphere share.

"F-Fuyuki-dono! That isn't what I think it is, is it?!" Keroro squeaked.

"Don't get comfy with it; you're handing it back the second you get them all back!" Natsumi snapped, folding her arms.

"Suzuyama-san said he was even able to fix it a little, Gunso, so it might work a little better for you than it has before," Fuyuki continued.

"Thank you, Fuyuki-dono! Eh? Natsumi-dono. What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to help you…. I don't like standing around feeling helpless, either," Natsumi huffed.

"Either?" Keroro repeated.

"Absolutely not!" Rokiki snapped. "We're not going to have a Pekoponian compromising-I mean… W-Whatever the leader says…"

"Not being in charge really seems to bother him…" Fujuju muttered.

"You don't know the half of it. You should have seen him when he was little," Mahihi sighed, and pinned up a photograph to his control station. Daisy and the children. Fujuju smiled at the sight of the children in the photograph. The felt at his scarf, and his own photographs. In addition to Rita, the absence of Botan was starting to make him nervous.

While this went on, Natsumi and Fuyuki continued with Keroro, "The more people you have on your side, the better chances you have," Natsumi explained, and took a seat in the back of the ship. "Plus I can't have them doing something to the world. How do I know you won't switch sides and take it over while I sit around on Earth?"

"Thank you, Natsumi-dono," Keroro said quietly. "…Gero?"

"Gunso? What's wrong?" Fuyuki asked, noting as Keroro felt around for something suddenly, and looked to his sides.

"The key…" Keroro muttered. "Gero! The key to the ship! I must've lost it! Fuyuki-dono! Natsumi-dono! Please go look for it for me! It must be in my room! O-Or maybe it's in the laundry room!"

"Right, Gunso!" Fuyuki nodded, and rushed out.

"You're the most forgetful at the worst times!" Natsumi snapped, and followed Fuyuki out. Both Hinata children turned, stunned, as the ship quickly closed up behind them. "Eh? Stupid Frog, why did you close the hatch? Stupid Frog?!"

Natsumi jumped back as the ship slowly worked up a strong him, and floated up. The roof of the storage room opened up, revealing a tube above them that presumably led to the outside world. It floated up, and was quickly gone from sight.

While the Hinata children still tried to take this in, Keroro remained at the controls, his hand pressed on the start button, while the other hand worked the control of the ship. Even Kodada watched this wordlessly.  
Keroro only removed it when they'd flown out of the tubes, exiting through an old, abandoned building that was used as an emergency escape hatch, out this, and then a great distance away from the home. He then stood back, allowing Kodada to take the controls.

"Natsumi-dono… Fuyuki-dono… I'm sorry for the trickery," he said quietly to himself, and took a seat in the captain's chair. "…I couldn't lose any more friends, is all…" he finished.

"We're heading the in the correct direction now, Teicho," Kodada called out, looking over her shoulder to Keroro.

"Hopefully it won't be too hard finding them," Lupapa muttered. The ship lurched and rocked in the air then, and all grabbed on to whatever was closest to them. It stabilized then, and Chunini's eyes widened as she looked over her screen.

"Looks like they're not too far from us…" Chunini muttered.

"I don't think you need a screen to tell that," Lupapa tapped Chunini on the shoulder, and the yellow Keronian turned, and saw in front of them a ship a least three times the size of their own. It was silver, with blue lights all around the sides. It was a top shape, with an opening in the middle of it. And in the opening was Kezanstav, and on either side of him, the brainwashed Keroro Platoon.

"…Something tells me they were the ones waiting for us…" Mahihi said with a frown.

The brainwashed Giroro lifted a gun that he held at his side, and shot. Everyone gave a yelp as the shot landed on the side of the ship, causing it to rock back and forth again.

And while they worked on righting the ship again, the Kezanstav impostor looked out at them, hands in his pockets, and he smiled.


	50. Keroro Shotai: Old Versus New! Pt1

Yahoo :3 Next chapter. This is probably going to be a three-parter, by the way. Hope no one minds :

Enjoy, I hope! ^_^

Episode 25:  
Keroro Shotai:  
Part 1

"We've been hit!" Fujuju called out.

"You THINK?!" Chunini snapped.

"Dororo…?" Lupapa muttered quietly as she looked out at the group. It didn't take long for her to take up her staff from her side and hurry to the back of the room. "I need one of the flight packs, I'm going out there."

"I'll go with you," Mahihi nodded, and clicked the pendant on his necklace. His surfboard appeared under his arm, and he looked over his should to Keroro. The dark green Keronian adjusted his helmet, then followed Lupapa out, toward the exit hatch.

"Hey, Roki," Mahihi nudged Rokiki on his way out. "If I do this guy in, I get to get another mark, don't I? You better make it so you can give it to me." He was then gone, and Chunini sighed and tilted her head to one side.

"Well, I better go with them, I'm the best at this hand-to-hand kind of thing. Koda-chan, look after everyone, all right? You'll do great, I know it!"

"A-All right, Nee-chan! I'll try my best," Kodada nodded, and Chunini was gone with Lupapa and Mahihi. "…I don't think I can watch!" she cried out, and turned away. As she did, the entire ship turned on its side, sending the remaining soldiers and everything that wasn't bolted down over to one side of the ship. Rokiki found his own face pushed against Fujuju's.

"You have… Two seconds… Before I start fighting you off," Rokiki said with a warning growl to the scientist Keronian.

"I can't say I like this much, either," Fujuju said plainly.

Kodada struggled back over to the pilot's controls, and had the ship righted back up quickly afterward. Keroro, Rokiki, and Fujuju all went rolling back. She circled around the other side of the ship, out of the sight of the fighting Keronians.

"Watch what you're doing, this is no time to be a chicken!" Rokiki snapped at her.

"I'm sorry!" she called out.

"….Kodada-chan…. I know this is a lot to ask you, but do you think you might be able to get closer to the ship?" Fujuju asked, stumbling over to the pilot's seat.

"Closer?" Kodada looked back at him.

"Rita… She's not there, and I know she must be somewhere on that ship," Fujuju answered. "I might be able to find her if I could get on."

"You could also get yourself killed," Rokiki snorted. "I'm sure if the Captain had any brains he'd tell you to stay put and wait to help out everyone else!"

Eyes were on Keroro, "….Um…. Well…."

"I don't think you understand," Fujuju's voice became more stressed.

"You'd just make yourself a liability," Rokiki snapped to him. Fujuju went toward the exit, and Rokiki blocked his path, his arms folded and dour look upon his face.

"I see," Fujuju said with a small smile and a nod. He walked back to Kodada and Keroro, and removed his scarf, placing it on the control panel. "Please take care of this for me, would you?"

"Of course, but why?" Kodada asked, and Fujuju walked back over to Rokiki, who continued to block his path. Fujuju stared at Rokiki a moment, same look on his face as ever, then delivered one punch to the unsuspecting red Keronian that knocked him out on the floor. Kodada and Keroro were both stunned, and watched this, wide-eyed and quiet.

"I won't be long. You know how to contact me," Fujuju called out cheerfully, taking one of the flight packs along with him.

"….I suppose a stressful situation brings out different sides in anyone…." Keroro muttered. Rokiki stirred on the ground, one hand over his face, and started laughing loudly. He stood up uneasily, still laughing.

"I never knew someone like him had it in him!" Rokiki shouted through the laughter.

"Rokiki Tai, please don't start a fight with him right now," Kodada begged.

"Start a fight?! Teicho, permission to follow him and fight with him!" Rokiki laughed.

"G-Granted, I suppose…." muttered the shaken Keroro.

"…..Rokiki-san's upbringing explains a lot of how he is," Kodada explained as Rokiki bounded out after Fujuju. "Eh? Keroro-san?"

Keroro was in a corner of the room, his head against the wall, murmuring, "Everyone is doomed. I can feel it in every bone in my body. So very doomed."

"Keroro-san?"

"Gero?! Oh, Kodada-chan! Just… Saying some words of encouragement, is all!"

"You look like you were crying…."

"Tears of a warrior!" Keroro explained, and hopped back in the Captain's chair in the middle of the cabin. "Now to-GERO!" he yelped as there was a loud blast, and the ship shook horribly. "What… Kodada-chan, who is that?!"

Kodada looked in the rear cameras, and her eyes widened. There was a stern-looking Angol glaring back at the camera, her spear in her hands. She went to hit the ship again, and again it shook violently.

"Mois-dono!?" Keroro yelped. "Kodada-chan, we've got to hurry back to help! Kodada-chan?!"

The orange Keronian was slumped over the controls. She had fainted from the stress, and the ship was starting to plummet. Keroro gave a yell, and took hold of the controls. "Now to just but this in hyper-Eh? WHAT?! A-All of the controls are written in ancient Keron!? I never paid attention to this in class, Zeroro always did my class work for me! GEROOOO!"

Fujuju panted as he ran down the hall of the ship, stopping briefly to lean against the side of the metal hallway. He winced as pressure of weight was applied to his hand; he had more than likely broken something punching Rokiki. He continued on, vanishing down a side as he heard footsteps behind him.

"It's just me!" Rokiki whispered, stopping in the same hall. "…How did you manage to make it in?"

"I saw a spot while everyone was fighting, and snuck in while no one was looking. And yourself?"

"I pried open one of the doors," Rokiki answered. "What are you looking at?"

"I really gave you a shiner…."

Rokiki nodded, then popped his head out and looked down either side of the hall. "Come on, it's all clear…. What's this daughter of yours look like, anyhow?"

"You'll know her when you see her…. I hope she's all right…" Fujuju muttered, and his smile fell. Clearly he was thinking about the latter.

"…Don't focus on the bad so much. It'll only make your weaknesses more prevalent," Rokiki snapped, and Fujuju was snapped out of his thoughts.

"She's probably fine. If she's anything like you, she's reading a book all while this is going on. Or maybe playing with matches."

Both stopped then. The sound of a long, trailing laugh. Rokiki tilted his head, and began to run in the direction of the laugh, Fujuju quickly following him.

"I know that creepy laugh!" Rokiki called out. "It's the same as yours!"

They then looked in at one of the opened rooms, Rokiki's head beneath Fujuju's. The room was dark, lit only by numerous screens. And in the middle of all of the screens sat a tiny figure, chuckling and typing away. She gave a giggle, and continued typing away.

"…That must be her…" Rokiki said with a sigh. "Eh?! Wait, you idiot!" he snapped as Fujuju went rushing forward toward her.

"Rita!" she spun around at the sound of her name, and Fujuju rushed to her. "Thank goodness you're all right!"

"What-How did you get on here?!" she barked, her smile fading to a frown.

"You… You have an American accent? Well… Your mother never mentioned that… Come on, it doesn't matter. We have to get you out of here!"

"Get away from me!" she snapped as he reached out to take her hands. "You'll ruin it all!"

"Fuju?"

"Where are you, you bastard?" Mahihi whispered as he looked out at the group of warriors in front of him. "There you are!" he caught sight of Nikolai, who turned just as Mahihi drew out his gun. "Now just stay-UGH!" he was caught off guard as he felt something hit against him, and he went flying off of his surfboard, grabbing hold of it with one hand. He cursed as he watched his gun fall back to earth, and after a bit of a struggle, he righted himself back up on to the board. "…The diet starts when I get back home…" he grumbled, and looked up. Giroro had gotten a flight pack of his own. Not only this, but he was staring directly at Mahihi. "…Of course you go for me first…" he muttered.

Mahihi awaited Giroro's move, while Lupapa dodged attacks from both Kirere and Tamama. She rushed away from them, landing on the side of the ship and running along the side, barely dodging the blasts from their attacks. These instead hit the side of the ship. She gave one large jump, and landed on the open area of the ship, where the Keroro platoon had first shown themselves.

Kirere and Tamama stopped, then backed away, turning their attention to Mahihi, who was fighting his own struggle with Giroro. Lupapa could feel something in the shadows, and felt a swift breeze at her blind spot. She went to swing at it, only to be knocked down by a loud boom. Both she and her attacker went flying back, Chunini standing over them both.

"Dororo?" Lupapa now recognized her attacker, and the ninja was quick to recover, and swipe at her with his sword again. Chunini rushed in between him and Lupapa, holding her mace out to block his sword.

"Now… Lupa-chan… You know you won't be able to fight him to your full ability, so let me," Chunini grunted, and smiled as she was able to push the ninja back a bit.

"Chunini, don't hurt him," Lupapa snapped. "If you do, I-UGH!" she grunted, and dug her nails into the metal. Something had gripped her by the feet and was pulling her back into the shadows. She pulled out a bowie knife from her cap and with a swiping motion cut the wires; out of the shadows, dressed in an all-black scientist's outfit, stepped Kururu. The wires slithered back into his headphones, only to emerge again, waiting for Lupapa, as if daring her to move again.

"I was wondering where my mischief partner went!" Chunini said cheerfully, backing away from Dororo. At this same time, Lupapa backed away from Kururu, her knife still drawn. Both Keronian women eventually backed into one another, and glanced back over their shoulders to one another.

"I won't harm him, Lupa-chan, don't worry."

"Don't get your feelings hurt when I say I don't trust you, Chunini…. Plus, how do you know I won't hurt your friend in the process?"

"Because you're too nice… And you can't, anyway. Kuru-chan owes me money," Chunini answered.

"So we won't hurt either of them."

"Agreed," Chunini nodded, then after a moment of silence, both women went into attack mode again.

"Damn it!" Mahihi grumbled, and flipped his board up quickly, dodging another shot from Giroro. He then surfed up higher, attempting to dodge another attack of Tamama's. This still caught him enough to be caught in the after blast, and caused him for a few moments to fly uncontrollably. He was stopped, however, by a pair of hands. He felt a sense of dread, until he looked upward, and saw a pair of familiar red pigtails flying in the breeze. "…Hehe, you're not one to give up just like that, are you?"

"You're right I'm not! Like I'd let Stupid Frog out of my sight for a second!" Natsumi snapped. "Now what's going on?"

Mahihi cringed at the sound of a loud explosion, and smoke poured out from behind the ship. "…Complete chaos," he answered with a sigh. "We're trying to hold them back, but that's not that easily done." As he spoke, he raised his board, blocking another shot; this one from Kirere.

"You've never seen me with them. Complete chaos… Is normal!" she answered, flying right into the fight, and right towards Giroro.

"R-Ruin it?" Fujuju repeated, and looked at the screens. It was all videos that had played out on the televisions, airing again… He took a step back, and took this all in for a moment.

"So you were working with… Whatever it is," Rokiki said with a nod, and looked at her. "You don't have one of those stupid pieces of jewelry on, so I'm assuming there's some other reason you're doing this?"

She answered by throwing a camcorder at him. Rokiki growled and began to storm over toward her, his teeth bared. Fujuju stepped in between them, though, and looked down at Rita, pained. "That isn't it. I know it isn't. There is no way my daughter would-"

"Don't call me your daughter!" she snapped and stood. "And don't think I can't face off against that shorty, either!"

"Shorty?!" Rokiki snarled. "Let me just give this kid one-"

"Rita, I don't understand what's gotten into you, but-"

"Gotten into me. This is the first time you've met me. How would you know if I was always like this?"

"Because it would have disappointed your mother. And that's something neither of us wanted, or want now," he answered. This only seemed to make her angrier, and she paced about the room, first grabbing a backpack, then picking up pieces of camera equipment stern all over the room.

"If you two have family issues to work out, do it while we're not under the threat of death!" Rokiki barked to them.

"He won't kill us. He wouldn't do that," she muttered with a shake of the head.

"Who's that, love?" Fujuju asked, and Rita looked up at Fujuju, incensed.

"Don't take that "love" personally," Rokiki suggested. "He called me that once. More Pekoponian slang of his. I don't understand any of it, personally."

"He's going to make it so everyone will be able to live together," Rita said to them, still stuffing her bag with equipment. "He's going to make it… So people like me will be normal."

"Great. She's crazy… Just like her dad…." Rokiki grumbled wearily, and took a seat on the floor. "…Don't mind me while I wait for death here." He then proceeded to pull out a silver metal flask and unscrew it, all while mumbling to himself.

"…People like you? I… I don't understand…." Fujuju said gently to her.

"Of course you wouldn't. You didn't have to hide like I did… I look like this… My whole life… And none of the humans can see me like this. I have to hide as one of them. Then… Everyone else is afraid of me because my mother's human. You don't know anything about that," Rita said bitterly. "But he's going to change all of that… He's going to make it so we'll finally be able to live together."

"Hehe…. Haha… HAHAHA…. He really told you that!?" Rokiki could barely contain his laughter. "That's the funniest thing I've heard sober in years!" his smile then faded, and he shook his head. "…You moron… I don't care who it is we're talking about, or how powerful they are… Things are never that simple for anyone. If you want a few examples, I'll give them to you when we have more time."

They lurched forward now; there had been another hit to the ship.

"Come on, we haven't much time!"

"Forget about it! I'm not going with either of you, there's nothing that can change that!"

There was another loud blast, but this was followed by a side of the room there were in tearing open, letting the daylight in with it and knocking out virtually all of the video screens. Fujuju pulled Rita out of the way, and the golden ship screeched to a halt inches away from Rokiki's face. The Keronian noted this, and shakily took another drink.

Keroro looked out the front window, surprised by all of the faces looking back at him, "Ehehe…. Well, I landed it…."

"You nitwit!" Rokiki snarled, and tossed the flask at the window.

"He…. But he was supposed to be an idiot…" Rita blinked.

"Tch. Don't get your hopes up about him yet," Rokiki snorted, and Keroro stumbled out of the cockpit, Kodada still passed out and leaning against him.

"….She's so small," Rita said quietly, noting the tiny Kodada in Keroro's arms.

"What's this now?" Keroro looked up from his struggle and saw him there, the Kezanstav imposter. He looked older now, though, although he still dressed in the same peasant clothes. At his side was a small, cloaked alien, with glowing yellow eyes.

"O-Ojiisama…." Keroro squeaked.

"….That's going to take a little bit of work to fix," he said with a sigh, and smiled as Rita hopped over to him joyfully, her backpack on her back. It seemed seeing him had led the Keronian-Pekoponian woman's spirits to a quick, full recovery. She took a place at his other side.

"I don't think it'll be a problem, we won't need it much longer anyway," Rita reassured him, and he nodded.

"You're right!" he said with a smile, "It won't, will it?"

"How much longer for what? And speak in small words, I'm not exactly sober right now," Rokiki demanded, and the Kezanstav-looking man looked up at them.

"Rita and I have been working hard for months and months to put our plan into action…. To make a planet where finally, all alien races can live together peacefully. But there was one little problem…. It would probably involve invasion, and there was already a group of aliens out there attempting invasion… A vicious little warlike race. At first we thought "destroy them". Then we had another, better idea. There was a young Russian boy and his Keronian friend I and some others of my race met years ago… The boy bought a special collar from us…. I'm sure you're familiar with it know, Sergeant. It will not only give me control of them, but allow them to show their full potential power… Something they weren't exactly able to do under your command. No offense, Sergeant-san."

"None taken?" Keroro replied, puzzled.

"Why not us, then?" Fujuju stepped forward. "We're also a platoon of Keronians."

"I only chose who I thought would be useful to me…. Those who hadn't become sedentary in family life…." he looked down at Fujuju, then looked over to Rokiki, "given in to their demons, become blinded by love or fame, or, like the Sergeant, been downright idiots to begin with."

"All right, perhaps now I'm becoming a bit offended," Keroro muttered.

"Can it, you idiot!" Rokiki hissed.

"I have to admit," he smirked a bit. "You put up more of a fight than I thought you would. Rita? Let's go. We have a lot of work to do yet, to help the people."

"What about them?"

"Eh? Well… We'll let Romama handle then," he answered, and before Rita could protest, the doors slid shut behind them, blocking Keroro, Kodada, Fujuju, and Rokiki from an exit, and anyone from helping them.

"…You three get out of here. I'll hold him off," Rokiki called out, picking up a jagged piece of ship metal from the floor, all while keeping his eyes on Romama, who remained there, the hood drawn over his face.

"Rokiki-dono, are you-"

"Go!" Rokiki shouted, and lunged for Romama. Romama floated out of his way, and Rokiki slid on the ground, glaring up at Romama and baring his teeth, giving a growl as he lunged again. The hood fell off of Romama's head now as he went to counter the attack, and all could see it was Romama as he had been once before, in his adult for. "GO!" he barked, and Fujuju and Keroro scrambled into the ship. Fujuju pulled his scarf off of the console and wrapped it around his neck while Keroro seated Kodada in the pilot's chair, then while standing attempted to work the controls again.

"Eh?" Fujuju looked out the side window; he could hear more fighting. And now, although it was a little ways away from them, he could see it. It was Mois; she was in a stalemate with Botan.

Keroro gave a yell as Romama was thrown against the glass, cracking some of it, and in a panic he ran his hands across the control board; they went rushing out of the larger ship, leaving Romama behind them.

Mora sat in front of her television intently, watching the battle. She fidgeted with a tissue in her hands as she watched. It was on every channel; different newscasters and specialists, some in different languages, but it was all the same footage. Her eyes widened a bit as the cameraman closed up to a gaping hole in the larger of the two ships, and Rokiki was visible, fighting off against Romama still.

Karara sat beside Mora, watching this wide-eyed, "Roki-kun really is a good fighter, isn't he?... Don't worry Mora-san, he'll be all right!"

"Shouldn't you be the one worried?" Mora glanced at Karara. "I mean, Rokiki-kun and you…"

"Oh, I think we're just friends," Karara said with a bit of a smile. "He's a little too serious for me! I still hope he's all right, marrying him or not!"

"Chandi? Chandi, where are you going?" Mora demanded, floating up as her daughter rushed past them.

"I have to help out more, I just wanted to make sure you and Karara were safe," Chandi replied. "You should probably come with me to Fuyuki's, it'll be safer there."

"I don't think it's a good idea, I think it'd really be best if-"

"They're all the only friends I have… Mora, I… Even if you tell me no, I'm still going to sneak out," Chandi warned her quietly. Mora sighed and rose after a moment's thought.

"Let's go. We might be more use there anyway. I'm not sure how useful a matchmaker might be, but I might be able to still do something!"

Chandi gave a smile, and set down her backpack, allowing for Mora to climb in, followed by Karara.

"This is the most interesting trip to Pekopon I've had in a long time!" Karara chirped happily.

"….There was a little girl there…." Rita said quietly as she looked out at the fighting.

"Remember that the Keronians make even their children soldiers, Rita," he answered calmly, and bent down, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's all for a greater good, I promise."

"…I trust you," she nodded, and looked up at him, and he returned the smile she gave him.

"Come on, we've got a lot to do still," he called to her, and walked away from the fight scene. For a few moments Rita watched by herself; both the green Keronian and a lone Pekoponian were fending off two of the younger Keroro Platoon members.

"Fuyuki? What's going on?" Chandi ran up to him as he stood outside of his home, Haruki on the other side of the motorcycle they stood on either side of. Most of the people were out of their homes, watching the aerial fight in the distant sky. The battle was visible to everyone. Some rushed panicked in the streets; a car zoomed past Chandi, just barely missing her.

Mora stuck her head out and began to curse at the driver, only to be pulled back in swiftly by Karara.

"Nee-chan, Nishizawa-san, Lee-san, and Azumaya-san have gone to help… Suzuyama-san is going to give me a ride so I can get closer, too," Fuyuki answered, pulling on a helmet as he spoke. "I know Gunso doesn't want me there, but… I have to go."

Chandi nodded, and smiled. "I'll see if I can get a ride to help out, too."

"You're not getting any closer to that!" Mora called out, poking her head out of the bag. Again, she was pulled back in by Karara.

Haruki climbed on the bike, followed by Fuyuki, and both sped off, leaving Chandi in the driveway. Haruki's past as a more reckless teenager came to light as he swerved in and out of the panicked traffic, Fuyuki clinging on for dear life.

"You looking for a ride? Well, I hear it's hard to get a taxi right now, but I might be able to help," Chandi looked up, and a pair of blue eyes looked back down at her, amused. Saburo stood upon a large paper airplane, more than likely of his own design, and it floated down to the ground. "You need a lift?"

"Oh! He's a cute one!" Mora said with an astonished whisper to Chandi.

Chandi clenched her teeth a bit and gently pushed Mora's head back down into the bag. The Indian girl then climbed onto the paper airplane, taking a seat on it cross legged while Saburo remained standing on it, and they took off, following after the others.

And in the back yard, in the red phone booth lodged in the earth, panic continued between the three Martin siblings. Maggie tried to make sense of the notes Fujuju had left, while Oliver and Frannie were tasked with finding the right supplies and tools to quickly reassemble Botan's staff. Baby Waikiki slept away, strapped to Frannie's back.

"And you're sure she came to you and said this, Mags?" Oliver panted, and Maggie nodded.

"Right before she was going to that fight," Maggie answered. "Is this a "b" or an "a"? Fran? Do you know what this means?!"

"I can't find a decent welding kit anywhere!" Frannie huffed. "Just this small one!"

"Well, when you're a pyro, you don't really keep those sorts of things laying around," Oliver answered absently.

"Eh? A what?" there was silence between the twins. "A pyromaniac? He's a pyromaniac? Is that why there are so many smoke alarms?"

"This… Really isn't a time for questions, Fran. Let me see that welder?" Maggie took it, and frowned. "Where's the flint for it?"

"I think I hid it from him a while back…" Oliver said thoughtfully.

"How'd you learn how to work one of those?" Frannie asked as Maggie rushed past her. "Someone's let you work a welding tool?"

"Really not the time for questions, Fran," Maggie muttered. Frannie slammed her hands down on the workbench, and both of the twins stopped what they had been doing to look up at her, wide-eyed. The baby squirmed and fussed a bit, then went back to his sound sleep.

"Maybe if I had you wouldn't have been flying around in a phone booth while I thought you were both safe in London!"

"It doesn't always fly, Fran, I-I'm going to go… Look for things over there…. I think I hid them under the floodboards," Oliver cleared his throat, and hurried away.

Frannie's voice fell, "….I'm sure he's lovely, but… Maggie, does has this sort of thing happen with you three a lot? I know I'm not the best example of a responsible adult, but I try to be. And that includes making sure you're both safe at all times."

"Fran… He's saved my life."

"But why was your life at risk in the first place?" Frannie asked quietly, and Maggie stopped working for a moment. "…I'll let you help, because I know he's important to you, and that these are your friends. But… After this, I don't think I want you two having any more of it."

"But Fran-"

"No arguments. You know I promised Mum and Dad I would take care of you both. As many jobs as I have, the most important one is taking care of you two."

"Hello?" all turned their heads as the front door opened. "I know I should have come in through the front, but the phone booth entrance looked like too much fun to pass up! Eh? Don't tell me I landed in a library! I hate reading… Boy…. Do you know if any of the Hinatas are in? My granddaughter's in trouble. And I brought snacks," the old man finished with, holding up a few white plastic bags.

"Who are you now?" Oliver asked, his eye twitching.

Haruo looked around a bit more, his eyes lighting up as he saw the staff laid out on the work bench, "That's Mobian work, isn't it?! Haha, I haven't seen that in years! I'm Haru-chan's father-Kirere-chan's Grandpa! Haruo Suzuyama!"

"L-Like the guy who made my motorcycle?" Frannie stuttered.

"Not all of them," Haruo admitted, setting down the bags and hopping over the books and to the work area. "I have a few factories for help…. My goodness. Just when I thought I'd never see this level of craftsmanship again. What happened to it? Looks like someone took a rock to it!"

"We think she used brick…" Maggie stepped away. "Do you know how to fix it?"

"You think I'd be this comfortable having an alien granddaughter without knowing my way around a piece of alien technology or two!?" Haruo laughed, and lifted up a piece of the staff. "I think I can have it done in a day or two."

"We've only got minutes!" Oliver said in a panic.

"Well, that's going to have to do!" Haruo laughed, and took a seat in front of the golden spear.

Giroro ducked out of the way right before Natsumi could grab him, and flew up, staring her down as she stopped and turned around, looking up at him. His dull glare was unwavering. He came flying back down toward her; Mahihi attempted to make his way over to help the redhead, but was continually held back by the tag team of Kirere and Tamama.

This wasn't for long, though. A blast blew both back, and giving Mahihi pause. He looked over, and saw Momoka, in a power suit of her own.

"It's for your own good, Tama-chan!" Momoka called out.

"…They're scared about American kids and guns… They give these ones super suits!" Mahihi said with a shake of the head, and then yelped; Kirere was making her presence known.

Kirere gave another shot of her gun, then went to fire once more. This missed, though. A piece of paper shooting by had distracted her. Several more of the papers went flying by, until a whirlwind encircled her. The disoriented pink Keronian looked about for an escape, while overhead Saburo continued to sketch more of the same planes at a steady pace. Even when she broke out, he looked up, only mildly surprised.

"Looks like that didn't work," he sighed. "Woah!" the plane served to the right accordingly as she flew to it.

"Something to weigh her down might work!" Chandi called out. "Like, like…."

"A big stone?" Mora asked, sticking her head out.

"How about a ball and chain? That way you could catch her, and she'd be safe, too," Karara piped up. "…Did I say something wrong?"

"That's perfect!" Saburo answered. "And something soft for her to land on, too… We don't want anything bad happening to her. Here we go! With this paper, I thy bind, so you can be free. 623."

She paper glowed, and took form of a chain and ball, with a Saburo touch, of course. It slithered directly toward Kirere, like a serpent, on end acting as a set of jaws, shutting open and close. The jaws clamped around Kirere, and she went sailing down; a ways below her, another drawing had taken the form of a catcher's mitt, awaiting her fall.

Natsumi's battle against Giroro raged on. Amid blocking his blows, she could sense something; he wasn't fighting at his full capacity. It didn't seem like any of them were, the more she looked around.

Giroro's eyes traveled from the redhead, down to the falling Kirere, and he left his battle with Natsumi to chase after the falling young Keronian.

"…He's still in there…." Natsumi whispered, and went trailing after Giroro.

"Red! What're you doing?!" Mahihi yelled out.

"He's still in there!" Natsumi repeated. A little closer, she gripped onto the collar on the back of his neck, and began to pull.

Waikiki still slept, all while now strapped to Maggie's back. She had piled out of the same car as Haruo and her brother and sister, and stopped where Haruki stood watching the fight, Fuyuki still seated on the back of the motorcycle.

"D-Dad!? What're you doing here?!" Haruki squeaked.

"I told Kyoko I was going to a business meeting… Then I snuck away to see if you needed any help. And it seems like you did," he held out the golden staff, now fully repaired but still rough-looking. "There's an alien up there that needs this."

"Let me guess, one of them can sprout wings and fly," Frannie sighed.

"No, but there's a girl like that. A very cute redhead," Oliver admitted, blushing a bit.

"How are we going to get that to her all the way up there, Dad?" Haruki asked.

"Eh? I know!" Fuyuki gasped. "The top of Nishizawa Tower!"

"That's right, it's about the same height as where they're flying," Maggie looked up to the tall tower.

"Now there's some thinkers! Haru, you could really learn a thing or two from them!" Haruo grinned and chuckled at Haruki's exhausted expression. "Now you get up there! Haru, you watch after him."

"What about you, Dad?"

"Oh, I'll stay here. The company's not so bad!" he laughed. "But remind me to tell you more about when I was your age when you get back, all right?"

"…That's assuming we make it," Haruki chuckled grimly, and placed his helmet back on his head. "Hold on, kid!"


	51. Keroro Shotai: Old Versus New! Pt2

Episode 25:  
Keroro Shotai: Old Versus New! Keroro Shotai Versus Romama Shotai!  
Part 2

Been a while. Too too long of a while T.T Anyhowwwww here is an update *huzzah*. Just letting you know, there will be a part three to this, and, also I'm planning on doing something sort of like a Q&A … If you have any questions about this series, please feel free to ask them, I'm going to try to do something like a Youtube answer session :3 (just for fun, hehe). So please send in any/all questions/hatemail/thoughts/things that have nagged you but you never got around to asking about this by April 21st, 2010. I would love to hear from you! ^_^

Natsumi continued her fall down toward the earth, still gripping onto Giroro's collar, and she clenched her teeth together, using both her own strength and that of the power suit to pull the golden collar apart. It went flying up into the air, and vanished, having been carried away by the strong wind. Giroro immediately relaxing his shoulders, and, noting that he was now sailing towards earth, gave a yell.

"Gi… Giroro! You're all right!" Natsumi called out cheerfully over his screaming, and grabbed onto him tightly. This pressing against her switched his flight pack off, and he turned around, still disoriented but not lost on the fact that Natsumi had him in an embrace. His face flushed a deep, bright red.

"N-Natsumi! What… What's going on?!" Giroro asked.

"I'll explain later! Right now we need to get down there and help Kirere!" she shouted out over the strong wind.

"Kirere?" Giroro looked over his shoulder, and saw the little girl sailing down to the ground. He broke out of Natsumi's grasp, switched on the flight pack again, and swooped down to her.

"You tired yet, fatass?" Chunini panted.

"Not nearly, you spoiled brat," Lupapa huffed, then faltered in her step. Both Keronian women were worn from the fight, and neither Dororo nor Kururu looked out of sorts at all. Dororo came at Chunini with his blade again, and Lupapa helped to block this, while the blade stopped a mere inch from in-between Chunini's eyes, and instead was jammed in Lupapa's staff.

"A-All right, maybe a little…" Chunini admitted, her mouth twitching.

A shot fired, knocking Dororo's sword out of the staff and across the large docking area. Dororo turned to the source of the shot, and Lee stood there, gun still drawn. Behind her was Koyuki, still holding the large folded glider she and Lee had flown in on.

"Miss Chu! Are you all right?" Lee called out.

"Lee!" Chunini's eyes lit up at the sight of her manager. "You came to do my fighting for me! How thoughtful of you!"

"You're so lazy-Get down!" Lupapa fell to the ground with Chunini as more wires slithered out from Kururu's headphones, the pointed things aimed at both of them. The wires destroyed the ground that they stabbed at, and with one swipe, they were disconnected from Kururu. More came, though, and Koyuki again sliced these, and others that came out toward her.

"…There's easier ways to tell me you like me than this, Lupa-chan," Chunini giggled.

"Don't call me Lupa-chan!" Lupapa barked. She pulled up Chunini by the arm, and both ducked out of the way as Mahihi passed by with Tamama, and a series of explosions went followed them. "He needs help-Get out there and help, you're being useless here!" Lupapa snapped.

"Now, Lupa-chan, I already-GWAA!" Chunini had no sooner been lifted up by Lupapa and thrown out of the docking area. She went falling toward the ground for a few moments, soon rising back up again as she switched on her flight pack. "…So pushy…." Chunini sniffed.

"…I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this…." a smile came across Rokiki's face as he circled Romama. All while he did so, though, Romama remained sedentary, only his eyes following the red Keronian.

"…Some people say they wait millions of years for one thing…. Well I really did…. And now we get to end it, Romama, right here," Rokiki went for the first blow, and Romama quickly lunged out of the way, standing again silently and only watching Rokiki.

"…So that's what ballet does for you… I might have to try that!" Rokiki laughed, and his smile fell quickly. "But for now, let's try to snap you out of whatever it is they did to you… It's in that collar, isn't it? It was the first time… You know… I don't even think your idiot nephew would fall for the same trick twice, hahaha!" he went to strike again, and Romama fought back now, with his wooden sword, although with the quick maneuvers Romama used, the metal scrap of ship Rokiki used as a blade had barely any effect against the wooden bokken, aside from a few small scratches.  
Romama's blows came at such a quick rate that Rokiki didn't even notice he was slowly being back into the large hole that Keroro had left with the Romama platoon's ship. It wasn't until he nearly slipped off that he gasped, and held out his makeshift sword, his arms shaking against the force of Romama and his weapon. Rokiki reached out, and kicked out Romama's legs from beneath him. Romama lost his balance with this surprise trick, and before either could do anything, he had slipped. Romama gripped onto the side of the ship with one hand, though, and tried in vain to pull himself up, all while Rokiki rushed to his aide.

He could see a fear in Romama's yellow eyes that overrode any spell or machine's influence he was under. Rokiki attempted to help him up, but Romama fumbled with this, and lost his grip.

He quickly plummeted toward the earth, all while Rokiki stood there, slack-jawed and shaking, not fully realizing what had happened until Romama had vanished. He then switched on his own flight pack, and went in search of the Major.

"NEH!" Giroro finally gripped onto the back of Kirere, and her collar. It didn't take long for him to pull apart the collar, and the little girl quickly transformed back into the younger Kirere. Her head was slumped, and Giroro could tell she had fainted. He gripped onto her, burying her head into his shoulder, and braced for impact. They landed together in the oversized catcher's mitt, Natsumi following behind them and flying down into the mitt to check on them.

And while this went on, from the sidelines inside the ship, Rita stood behind her camera. She sidestepped away from the camera on the tripod, frowning at what she had just seen.

"…That looked like an awful long fall…" she muttered to herself, and jumped at the voice that spoke out in the silence.

"Like I said before, they're soldiers, all of them. Trained from a young age to be bloodthirsty. This sort of thing is their true nature," answered the Kezanstav clone, crouching down beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. Rita blushed, and looked up at him.

"You know… You don't have to stay in that silly Pekoponian form anymore," she said gently, and put a hand over his. "When we're done, no one will think twice about seeing us walk down the street!"

"I realize this, my dear," he answered, and sighed. "But… This, too, is part of the greater plan. I'll be in this form for only a little while longer, don't worry."

"…You know… It's astounding, the things I saw them put up with when it came to those Pekoponians…" Rita said almost bitterly. "They act subservient, almost."

"The opposite of what your mother strove for…"

"…She was in love with a fool, but… My mother did a lot of good, or at least attempted to…" Rita said quietly.

The false Nikolai smiled, and patted her on the shoulder. He then smiled and stood, "We're so close now, it would be wonderful if she were here to see it."

"Yes…. I wonder what she would think of all of this…." Rita said quietly, her voice falling. She had a clear view of Botan and Mois's fight now, and she gasped sharply as the Time Bender took a hit. Rita flinched, and slowly went back to her camera. For some reason, she had started feeling ill.  
Botan held on to her shoulder, and struggled to raise her staff to block Mois. The Angol was about to strike again, but a laser shooting in between her and the Time Bender broke both out of their concentration.

"Heh," Momoka smiled and held up her arm, with the still-smoking gun attached to it. "I thought you could need a little help."

"…It is appreciated," Botan nodded.

"Not a problem-This is just what my fighting spirit needs!" Momoka grinned, and gripped her fist triumphantly.

Keroro watched as Fujuju paced back and forth, looking out the window again, and then he started pacing again. He rushed to the window as he saw Botan get hit, and remained there, watching as Momoka joined in the fight. The green Keronian's famous streak of luck had hit again, and he'd managed to hit the autopilot. They were circling in such a distance from the battle, however, no one went to attack them.

"Eh?... Keroro-san?" Kodada's eyes opened slowly, and she sat up in the pilot's seat that Keroro remained vigilant beside.

"Ko-Kodada-chan! You're all right!" Keroro gasped happily.

"Koda? I… I fainted? I ….I knew I would…." Kodada's voice dropped.

"We have to get back there! Please!" Fujuju rushed over to them, a desperate look on his face.

"I-I-I can't do it!" Kodada yelled. "I couldn't do it before, I can't now!"

"Koda-chan," came Keroro's voice in a calm, soothing tone. "You can. I know you can."

Kodada was silent; she looked to Keroro, then looked over to Fujuju, and she saw the panic in Fujuju's face. She gave a firm nod, adjusted her helmet, and put the spacecraft into the fastest gear it would go. She waited until it was off and both men had flown back to the other side of the ship from the sudden speed to tell them to buckle up.

"Thank… Goodness my body has already developed a heightened pain tolerance by living with Natsumi-dono…" Keroro choked.

"I can't see anyone!" Mora said worriedly , sticking her head out of the bag. Karara was out of Chandi's backpack, and watching the skies while sitting cross-legged on the giant paper airplane.

"Oh, I see someone!" Karara exclaimed, tugging on Mora's arm. It wasn't clear who it was at first, and Saburo had his pen and pad of paper readied for attack. All relaxed as they say it was only Rokiki.

"Rokiki-kun!" Mora called out to him. "What's wrong?"

Rokiki stopped, and frowned, looking down towards this earth, "I lost Romama and I'm trying to see where the little brat landed…."

"I'm going to help you," Mora rose up, stopping in front of him.

"I… Fine," Rokiki muttered.

"Oh! I'm leaving you!" Karara called out to Rokiki with a wide smile.

"You were too annoying for me, anyway. Come on!" Rokiki nodded for Mora to follow him, and Karara gave a giggle.

"Let's see if we can get closer and help, too," Chandi called to Saburo.

"I'm usually a stand and help on the sidelines guy, but this could be interesting," he admitted, then flew off with her and Karara.

Mora could see the worried look on Rokiki's face, and seeing this, called out to him, "I want you to be able to wear your uniform for the wedding, all right?!"

"…Whose wedding are you dragging me to, now?" he muttered, not taking his eyes off of the ground in search for Romama.

"Ours!" Mora answered, and Rokiki shot his eyes up to her, and Mora only giggle and flew a little further in head of him.

"…You wouldn't want that…. There's a tattoo ceremony involved…"

"That's okay, I already have one!"

"I-Wait, what? Where?" Rokiki jerked his head up, and Mora smiled, then flew further down, closer to the city. Rokiki wished he could be happier with all of this, but… The image of Romama's fear-filled eyes still remained with him.

"Eh?" Kirere blinked a few times, and surveryed the situation. She was in something large and cushy, and Giroro on top of her, his eyes shut tightly and his arms around her just as tight. "…Dad? What?... Where am I? And why are we dressed like this? Are we at a party?! Eh…? Dad, what's wrong?"

Giroro slowly open one eye, and then the other, "We… We didn't die?"

"No!" she giggled, and sat up, wriggling out of the weight she'd been trapped in. She fell back against the catcher's mitt, and laughed again.  
Giroro rose uneasily in the giant mitt, and took up his gun again. "I have to help. Kirere, stay here."

"I'm going with you," Kirere answered, stumbling toward him and grabbing onto her father's arm for balance.

Giroro shut his eyes and sighed, "…We always go through this, and you find some way to undermine me and show up anyway… If you go, consider yourself grounded for a month."

"That's all right… Papa will just reverse ground me…"

"H-He'll what?!"

Kirere looked at her father earnestly. "Well, he says he gets tired of having me in the lab so much…."

"I'll kill that bastard… I give him parenting book after parenting book, and he just laughs at them," Giroro muttered as an aside. "I-If he does that, then you're un-reverse grounded!"

"….Now you're just confusing me with all of the uns…." Kirere muttered.

"Come on," Giroro helped her up, and flew up again into the air, with his daughter in tow. "Keep close to me, all right?"

"Are you two all right?" Natsumi panted, stopping and joining them midway in the air.

"We're just fine," Giroro answered.

"Good. It looks like we're not out of this yet," Natsumi sighed, looking out at the fighting still raging on above them.

"Nee-chan!" Natsumi snapped her head toward Nishizawa tower, and saw Fuyuki waving her over, Haruki behind him on his motorcycle.

"Fuyuki?!" Natsumi gasped, and flew over to him, dodging Mahihi and Chunini's fight against Tamama as she did so. "What are you doing up here?!"

"I came to help Gunso," Fuyuki answered.

"I don't know where Stupid Frog even is…. Do me a favor, if you see him tell him that it's the collars."

"The collars? Then it's just like last time! False Kezanstav-san must have the control device!" Fuyuki gasped with realization.

"Right! Now-Stay safe!" Natsumi called out, and took flight again.

And the fight with the Tamama continued, Mahihi bending over and catching his breath on his surfboard for a moment. He gave a yell and fell back as Tamama shot another energy beam, and grunted as he climbed back onto his surfboard.

"Getting tired, old man?" Chunini giggled. Tamama gave another blast, nearly hitting Chunini now.

"Getting tired, Chunini?!" Mahihi laughed.

"Mahihi!" Giroro called out. Mahihi nearly fired, but Giroro stopped short. "We're all right!" as soon as Mahihi saw this was true, he lowered his gun and laughed.

"Great! Feel free to hop in at any time!" Mahihi laughed.

"I… I think I know what to do!" Kirere's eyes lit up brightly, and she flew over to Chunini, and whispered something to the yellow Keronian that made Chunini jerk back in horror.

"There's just no way!" Chunini snapped. "You say it!"

"I can't do voices…." Kirere said quietly.

Tamama gave another blast, shooting it in between the two female Keronians, and Chunini groaned. "Fine!"

Kirere nodded, and floated behind Tamama, and Chunini cleared her throat, and then sped towards Tamama. She stopped, grabbed onto him, and whispered in a tone matching Keroro's voice.

"Tama-chan… Tama-chan is…" she started, "…Tama-chan is the only one my heart has room for."

Tamama was stunned, and he stopped. Kirere took this opportunity to pull off his collar, and Tamama changed back into his tadpole form. He looked about, dazed, and Kirere giggled. Mahihi and Giroro exchanged disbelieving looks, and Chunini looked and acted as though she'd just swallowed something sickening.

"I can't believe I talked cute-talk to a boy!" Chunini cringed.

"What… What happened?... Kiichi!? Where are we?"

"It's a long story…"

"Come on, Kururu, Dororo, and Mois are all left," Giroro nodded.

"Tama-kun and I will help with the Angol," said Mahihi, "Everyone else can help with the other two… Then we're going to pay back the person who started this in the first place…"

"…Why am I in a skirt?" Tamama wondered aloud, still dazed.

"Come on…" Kirere pulled him over to Mahihi and set him on the board with the surfer Keronian. She gave a yelp as the Romama Platoon spaceship beat them to the docking bay. It screeched along the bottom of the docking bay, and separated Kururu with Koyuki and Lee on one side and Lupapa with Dororo on the other.

"Ah, you did it, Koda-chan!" Keroro exclaimed, and the shaken orange pilot still clutched on to the controls tightly. "I-It's all right to let go now, Koda-chan…."

"R-Really? You promise?" Kodada asked shakily.

"Come on!" Fujuju rushed out of the ship first, and Dororo quickly turned his attention from Lupapa, who he had pinned and was about to strike, to the scientist. He lunged for Fujuju, but stopped just short. Dororo he was pushed away, Lupapa standing over him. Keroro's jaw fell to the ground, and Kodada gave a gasp. In pushing him away, he had been cut with his own sword in the shoulder. She almost immediately realized this, falling to her knees in front of Dororo. She quickly pulled off the collar and turned him over.

"Dororo? Oh… Oh, no…" her voice was quiet.

"Lu… Lupapa-chan?" Kodada quietly stepped over to Lupapa.

"He's breathing," Fujuju bent down and examined the ninja. He turned his head as Chunini floated down, and then looked toward the entrance. "I… I have to go. I have to try to save her…"

"…That idiot will need help," Chunini sighed, clearly taking a break helping with Mois to check back in with Lupapa. She lightly touched the ground, then speedwalked over to the Keronians. "Teicho, it would be best if you accompanied him… You, too, Koda-chan. Your Nee-chan says so…. Someone will have to save the boys when they run into trouble, afterall."

"Right," Kodada nodded, and Keroro and Kodada followed after Fujuju, while Chunini knelt down on the other side of Dororo and removed the orange ribbons from her helmet. "Here, Lupa-chan. This will stop the bleeding."

Lupapa was stunned silent by this gesture and for a few moments was too shocked to move. She then quickly went to work bandaging the wound, her breathing becoming heavier as she did so. By the time she finished bandaging the wound, she had broken into tears. Chunini reached across, and placed a hand atop Lupapa's shoulder, and said nothing.  
On the other side, Giroro and Kirere joined the fight to free Kururu. They surveyed the fight with Kururu, Lee, and Koyuki for a moment, and Giroro jerked his head back, an idea suddenly striking him.

"Koyuki Azumaya!" he shouted out, and the ninja girl turned her head. She rushed over to them, avoiding the snaking wires as she did so, and stopped in front of Giroro and Kirere. "Kirere, I have an idea…"

"Really? But… Papa says you couldn't have one of those if your life depended on it!"

"….It's hard enough saving him without you saying that…." Giroro sighed, and lifted up the little girl into the puzzled Koyuki's arms. "Get her close to him… Kirere… I think Kururu's had a hard day… I think it's time for a hug."

"Oh?" Kirere blinked. "Hehe, I get it!"

"You take care of her!" Giroro shouted out as Koyuki hurried away with Kirere in her arms.

"I will!" Koyuki called out, and flipped to avoid the needle-sharp wires. A few reached out for her feet, but Lee shot these out of the way, and finally the ninja girl was able to get close enough to toss Kirere onto Kururu. The yellow Keronian gave an odd yell, and stumbled back, falling on the ground. In the process of this, his helmet came off, revealing a pair of shattered glasses.

Giroro stepped forward and pulled the collar off of him, "….Really he's so dramatic about this…."

"What's wrong?" Rita turned around as the fake Kezanstav walked in, his mood switched from jovial to grim.

"Nothing. It's but a minor setback," he reassured her.

"It seems like all but one has been released. What are we going to do about that?"

"Why do you have so many questions suddenly? Do you not trust me, Rita? After I gave my trust to you… After I accept you, when no one else did…"

"You… You're right. I'm sorry," her head bowed down. "I just…. I'm just wondering where we're going to go from here…."

"Well, we're going to have to take care of these… Pests…. And then reformulate our plans. Our plan will come to fruition. No matter what the cost."

He left the room, and Rita was left to herself. She replayed the footage from her camera; she winced as she watched the fight scenes play backwards through the footage.

The door opened again, and she was half-expecting to see her partner-Her smile faded as soon as she saw it was Fujuju, Keroro, and Kodada.

"How… How did you escape?"

"Gero, well, it wasn't easy," Keroro scratched the back of his head. "It took a lot of guesswork."

"Rita, you're in grave danger. Come on now," Fujuju took her by the arm, and she pulled away from Fujuju. She then smacked him across the face, and gave him an intense look. Keroro and Kodada immediately backed away, into the hall. They were too busy avoiding the family showdown to notice they were no longer alone in the hall.

"You… You never came to look for me, so why are you doing it now?!" she yelled out, her voice echoing through the metal room.

"I… Rita…"

She turned away from him, and began to fix her camera back onto its tripod, "I went to visit you. Right after Mum died. And… You know what I saw? You with those two little blonde Pekoponian children. And that Time Bender. You were in your Pekoponian form, but I knew it was you. You… You looked so happy with them…."

"I am," he nodded, and walked close to Rita, "…Very. And I'd like you to be part of that as well, if you'd like. I… Rita, I'm sorry. I thought it would best to give you your space, but I had no idea it would affect you this way. I… I didn't know what to say to you. I don't really know how to be a father, but… I'll be your friend, if you wish."

"…He loves me, you know that?" she sniffed. "He's the only one aside from Mum and her family who ever did."

"And you would do anything for him and you have. And someone I love is out there," Fujuju pointed out the large window to where Botan still fought against Mois in a stalemate. "And she's going to have a baby, and-"

"What? She's… She's pregnant?" Rita was stunned, and Fujuju nodded.

"That's why I have to do everything I can for her right now, and I want be able to do the same for you, but… He's just using you, Rita! No good will come from this. I've known monsters, and that is a monster…. There's an entire family waiting for you, all you have to do is trust me this once. It will be all right. I promise."

Rita studied his outstretched hand unsurely, and reached out for it. She was about to take hold of it when there was a loud booming noise. Both looked out the window, and watched the stalemate become a win for Mois, with Botan plummeting toward the ground.

"Come on!" Rita grabbed her camera and took Fujuju by the hand.

"What?! We have to get her!" he exclaimed as they rushed out.

"We'll convince him to help, then!" Rita answered. "She'll be fine, I promise!"

"Gya!" Fuyuki fell onto the ground roughly as he hopped off of the large paper airplane piloted by Saburo.

"Watch your step, little brother!" Saburo chuckled.

"Eh? Azumaya-san? Is everyone all right?"

"No," Lee answered for the distraught ninja girl. They joined the other side of the dock now, and Koyuki walked over to Dororo, kneeling beside Lupapa. Giroro walked out of the ship and placed his hands at his sides.

"Kirere's looking after Kururu…" he hopped off of the side of ship and walked over to Fuyuki. "You're a danger here, you should get back on the ground where it's safer."

"I came to help Gunso," Fuyuki answered. "Chandi-san and Saburo-san told me he was in here."

"Fine," Giroro sighed and turned around. "I was just going that way. This is your own funeral, understand." While Giroro said this, however, he promised himself that no harm would come to Natsumi's brother, no matter what the cost. He passed by his friend as he walked toward the entrance, and looked away from Dororo quickly.

"I'm going to help out with the Angol… She's the only one left," Chunini announced, and stood. She backed out of the bay, and then exited with her flight pack.

"Doro….? Koyuki-dono?... Lupapa-dono?..." both the ninja and the thief lit up as Dororo came to. "What…. What has happened just now….?"

"Let's get him into the ship," Lee instructed. She removed her jacket, and Koyuki lifted Dororo up in it, carefully carrying him into the ship. Lupapa followed close behind.

And Fuyuki and Giroro continued down the long halls, in search of Keroro, or any other friendly face. They turned the corner, and ran into Fujuju and Rita. After giving yells of surprise, Fujuju clutched onto his chest, panting.

"Eh? Fujuju? Where's Keroro? And what's she doing here?" Giroro demanded, nodding to Rita.

"No time!" Rita exclaimed, and pulled Giroro along with Fujuju, toward the center of the ship. Fuyuki followed close by them, stopping short of the opened doorway. Rita poked her head around the corner, and saw Kodada and Keroro standing in front of the fake Kezanstav, who was now greatly changed from the composed young man. He looked angry, angrier than Kezanstav had ever looked, and the two Keronians only watched, looking for any escape. Keroro's face immediately lit up as Giroro looked out, and Giroro made an angered gesture for Keroro to stop. Keroro nodded, and went back to watching the angry Kezanstav in front of him.

"That Kero Ball will be quite helpful in the takeover…." Kezanstav snapped. "Or, it would be, if you would give it over, Sergeant. I'm going to ask once more now."

"Gero gero ge…. You're going to have to do a little better than that, non-Kezanstav-san! You underestimate the power of the Keron army!"

"…Gunso… Your acting is so bad," Fuyuki moaned.

"We have to find her! Who knows what happened!" Rita whispered to Fujuju. She went to enter the room, but Fujuju pulled her back.

"I'll go find her on my own, Rita. Stay with them, listen to what they say," Fujuju whispered, and sped away from the group. Rita turned back to the room.

"…It's a lovely planet…" the false Kezanstav mused. "…And a shame that there's going to be such a body count, but… There are sacrifices to be made."

"Body count?" Rita frowned. She stomped into the room, before Giroro could grab her to pull her back, and he turned around, smiling congenially to Rita.

"…My dear. This is a surprise. And I see you have friends," he looked past her to Giroro and Fuyuki. "I told you there would be sacrifices."  
"But not a body count," Rita retorted. "What did you mean by that?"

"…These warring Keronians, they would be no good… As I've said before, they're a violent and brainless group of aliens. They wouldn't take kindly to an invasion of a planet they've been working so hard to invade."

"I'm a Keronian," her voice fell.

"And Pekoponian," he reminded her.

"…How many would be in this "bodycount"?" Rita asked, stepping closer toward him.

"…They're much too dangerous to have around, Rita. You know that as well as I do."

"…Are… Are you saying all of them?"

"In the end, you'll realize this was for the best, Rita."

"You don't get acceptance by…. By killing off people!" she snapped.

"As if you would be accepted any other way?"

"What?" she stepped back, shocked.

"You know… I've found that… Keronians aren't the brightest bunch of invaders, either…. That was part of the fun of trading with them, they never knew the value of what they had, truly," he continued. "Take this planet, for example… Full of resources."

"…My God, you… You want a foot in the resources… The Keronians, they're just in the way! You… You used me to get to them!"

"There's the Pekoponian in your talking now," he grinned. "They were one of my bigger threats… By the time I'm finished with Pekopon, their own planet will cower at me. And it will continue, and then an empire will be born… It's all for a good cause, my dear, I assure you."

"Because it's easy to have equality when there's no one there to argue…"

"Now you're catching on! Good girl. And I couldn't have done it without my lovely accomplice, the wonderful filmmaker Miss Grant."

"Gunso! He's controlling everything in that ring!" Fuyuki shouted out to Keroro.

"You! Quiet!" he bounded for Fuyuki, and along his way, he was knocked over by Rita. "What-What are you doing?!"

"I wish my mother would have been here to see this…. She would have been able to tell me what an idiot I was for believing you!" she snapped. "I have a father to tell me, fortunately! Get it! Get it quick!"

He swung at her, knocking her away from him, and against one of the metal walls. The chartreuse Keronian immediately was knocked unconscious. Fuyuki quickly reached down, and removed the ring from the alien's finger.

"Gunso!" Fuyuki called out, and tossed the ring to the unsuspecting Keroro.

"I've got it, I've got it!" Keroro ran backwards to catch it, only to trip and fall down. Kodada caught it, and she yelped, and took off running away from him. He ran after her, only to be shot at by Giroro. The shot scraped the fake Kezanstav's arm, and he stopped, clutching onto it. A purple smoke began to pour out, and Kodada ducked behind Giroro.

More of the alien's arm was transforming into the same smoke, and he too concentrated on the horror of this to notice Fuyuki bending down and picking up Rita then Keroro.

"He's changing into his original form!" Fuyuki called out.

"What… What the… What is he?" Giroro stepped back another step, then recovering, picked up Kodada and began to run with Fuyuki.

"Gunso! Do you have something to stop him?!" Fuyuki asked.

"Make it quick, Keroro!" Giroro looked over his shoulder, and down the hall was a rushing streak of the smoke.

"Gero, let's see…" Keroro pulled out his Kero Ball, and began to examine it. "This one-No, that's the USB adaptor. How about-No, that's the calculator… Maybe-"

"Just push something, you idiot!" Giroro barked.

"R-Right!" Keroro yelled, and pressed a few random buttons, praying for even mild success. The ball lit up, and Fuyuki and Giroro stopped, watching as the Kero Ball acted as a sort of magnet to the alien, sucking it in. The ball shook, and the alien gave a great howl, right until the last puff of smoke was sucked up into the bal. "Gero! Hot, hot!" Keroro yelped, tossing the warm Kero Ball back and forth between his hands.

The found the exit, and the ship. Mahihi was directing everyone into the ship, including Momoka and Natsumi, who, on either side, supported an exhausted Angol Mois.

"M-Mois-dono!" Keroro exclaimed.

"Could you say…. The most vivid dream I've had in a while?" Mois yawned.  
Fuyuki climbed into the ship, and further below them, Fujuju looked around in vain for Botan, calling out her name.

"Hey!" he thought he heard someone call out to him. "Over here!" again came the voice. Fujuju turned around, and Chandi and Saburo flew over to him. When they got closer to Fujuju, he saw, laying in between them, was a familiar, tall alien, dressed in a purple gown. "…I think you two know one another."

Fujuju landed on the airplane, and Botan opened her eyes slowly, "…I'd like some lemon squares when we return home."

"Y-Yes! Of course," he nodded, and then gasped. "Rita! We have to go check on Rita!"

"All right then. Going up," Saburo replied, and directed the paper airplane toward the ship.

"…What a nice, in-control sort of guy…" Karara thought to herself with a giggle. Already, the young girl was back to thinking about her perfect prince.

Chandi and Saburo helped Botan into the ship, and Fujuju and Botan followed.

"We're only missing Rokiki Tai and Ojiisama, it seems!" Keroro said happily.

"Well, we've got to take off soon… We've also got to figure out what to do with the little matter of this huge ship…" Mahihi said to himself. "…There's no way we can store it at my place, I barely have a one-car garage!"

"I have just the idea for it," Rita muttered. She had awoken, and stumbled toward the exit. She tumbled out, and everyone took a moment to assess the damage on one another, while Fujuju looked out the window, awaiting her return. She did with a smile on her face, a smile he knew well and that worried him seeing it on his daughter's face.

"It's set to cruise in autopilot… We may want to hurry, it's… Also on self-destruct," she took a seat in the ship, and Kodada yelped, and rushed to the controls, hurrying the ship out of docking bay.

"…How are you?" Giroro walked over to Kururu, while Kirere protectively clung to Giroro's side.

"Kuku… Well, I'm fairly certain I died and ended up in Hell, but I can't say any part of that surprises me, kukukuku!" Kururu answered.

"…I'm glad you're all right," Lupapa said quietly to Dororo in another corner of the ship. She took hold of his hand, and the couple soon realized the looks they were drawing with this gesture. Lupapa quickly removed her hand and both turned deep red.

"You should kiss him, Lupa-chan, that would be cute," Chunini said nonchalantly.

"Oh, Dororo, it would!" Koyuki gasped.

"K-Koyuki-dono!" Dororo yelped.

"…If tormenting me is your idea of a hobby, Chunini, then I'm deeply sorry for you," Lupapa said with a sigh.

"Gunso, what are you going to do with that?" Fuyuki sat in the middle of the room, beside Keroro, who sat in the captain's chair, the ring still in his hand. Keroro studied it, and murmured to himself.

"…It would be a sure-fire method of invasion…." Keroro mused, then closed his hand around the ring, "…But it would also be cheating. If Ojiisama's constant verbal abuse has taught me one thing, it's that I need to do it myself without any cheats if I want to invade the right way."

Fuyuki smiled with relief at this. Momoka walked past him, Tamama talking up a storm to her cheerfully, as if nothing had happened, "Oh, Nishizawa-san!"

"F-Fuyuki-kun?" Momoka turned her attention away from Tamama to Fuyuki at breakneck speed. "I… It's wonderful you're all right, Fuyuki-kun!"

"You, too. I was worried about all of us for a moment there!" Fuyuki admitted.

"He… He was worried about me!" Momoka squeaked cheerfully to herself.

"He said everyone, Momotchi," Tamama corrected her. This was met with a swift kick by Momoka.

"Don't ruin my dreams!" she snarled. Fuyuki only gave a nervous laugh.

"….You're welcome to live with me, if you wish," Fujuju noted Rita looking out the window at the fading ship. It faded into a hazy blue existence, popping up again as a faint orange explosion.

"….It's a shame we weren't closer to that…." she murmured.

"It… It really is…" he remained hypnotized by the explosion for a moment, then shook his head and gave a nervous laugh. "I think we have a bit in common!"

"I… I need time before I decide anything like that…. I may try to carry on Mum's work… She always dreamed that aliens and Pekoponians could live and work together… I want to see that. I don't think I'll be as good as her, but… I'll try."

"You'll be good in your own way. And that's how she would have wanted it," Fujuju reassured her. "….It's so peculiar hearing someone say "Mum" with an American accent."

"You're still not over the accent?" she giggled.

"I… I am… I just expected…"

"It's all right," Rita laughed. "I understand… I just hope it's all right."

"It's you, so it's just fine… Plus, maybe you could teach me," he finished by attempting an awful American accent, and Rita only broke out laughing at how truly terrible it sounded.

"…It must be British humor, I heard it's weird…" Tamama explained to a confused Keroro.

The ship landed, and the aliens and Pekoponians piled out together. Fujuju yelped as he was practically tackled by the Martin twins, and Rita and Botan watched this with amusement. Kirere immediately ran up to Haruo Suzuyama to embrace him, and them, as Haruki pulled up, she lunged for him too, gripping him tightly about the neck.

This was interrupted when Rokiki flew down, Mora at his side. In his hand was a helmet, the same one Romama wore in his adult form.  
He walked past the jovial group, and knelt down as he approached the puzzled Keroro.

"This… This was all I could find…" Rokiki said quietly, holding out the helmet as an offering to Keroro.

"….Ojiisama…." Keroro's smile fell, and he took the helmet from Rokiki quietly. Everyone fell silent, looking down to Keroro.

This silence was broken by a whirring noise. All looked up, and the Keroro Platoon and the Romama Platoon both sunk into a sense of dread. It was a Keronian leader's ship heading toward them.


	52. Keroro Shotai: Old Versus New! Pt3

Chapter 25:  
Keroro Shotai: Old Versus New! Keroro Shotai Versus Romama Shotai!  
Part 3

Aya poked her head out of her bedroom that morning, and could see her mother already awake, watching television. Her mother excitedly looked over her shoulder to Aya.

"You know all of those strange commercials? It was for a new movie coming out next year! Do you believe it? ….I'm willing to bet they spent more on advertising than this entire apartment complex makes in a lifetime… So sad."

"A… Movie?" Aya repeated, puzzled.

" Can you imagine how upset everyone must be!?"

"…Mama, I'm going to go out for some fresh air."

"Hrm? All right. Stay safe. Who knows who's out there… After something like this, I'm sure every lunatic who believes in aliens is still out in the middle of the streets shouting."

Aya giggled, and stepped out of her apartment. It was sunny, and a little warmer than yesterday. She placed her hands in her pockets, and was about to walk down the flights of stairs to the street, when a glint of red caught her eye from the story above her. It looked like a piece of cloth, with a bizarre emblem on it, in the shape of a wagon wheel.

She quickened her pace up the steps, as she saw a small trail of blood leading up the stairs. She stopped where the trail did, in front of an ajar door. There was a small ball of a creature in front of it, the bandanna half-covering his head. Aya fixed the bandanna on his head, then hurried into the apartment with him, not looking at him that well, and shutting and locking the door behind her.

When she laid him down in the bedroom she was able to get a better look at him. Tiny, blue-no, teal-colored, with a white tail and half-white face.

There was a purple symbol on his chest she was unfamiliar with, and scratches and cuts all over his body, like he had taken a hard fall. There were also remains of something like a gold necklace around his neck; she pulled off these, and tossed them aside onto the nightstand.

She went into the bathroom, which was pristinely clean (like the rest of the apartment), and returned with a warm, damp towel, which she used to wipe off the blood. He opened his eyes a crack and stirred, but Aya did not flinch, continuing to wipe the blood and dirt away. When she had finished, she pulled up the sheets around him and stood, getting a better look at the apartment for the first time. She saw on the ground a tiny set of shoes, and she lifted one up to examine it; it was unmistakably a men's ballet slipper.

She walked into the kitchen, and opened the refrigerator. She was taken aback at all of the fresh fruits, vegetables, and cheeses. There were also containers marked in a language she thought was Russian. All of the notes, too, were written in Russian. And there were a few photographs on the refrigerator… It looked as though he wasn't the only creature like that.

There was a green one, a blue one… It took Aya aback how many different ones there were.

She found a can of soup in one of the cabinets, heated this, and left it at the bedside of the tiny creature. And by the time he awoke to find it still warm at his bedside, Aya was gone.

"….Suzuyama!" Giroro called to Haruki, and the mechanic jolted to attention. Kirere was still wrapped around his neck, although the little girl clung to him in fear now, fear of the large ship. "I… Want you to watch after Kirere. Keron isn't the place for her!"

"What!?" Kirere yelped.

"She… You can't be found by them, Kirere. Not yet," Giroro shook his head.

"I won't say anything, then!" Kirere yelped. "I-I promise!"

"Hurry, out of here," Giroro whispered. His voice was breaking, and he grit his teeth. Kirere looked over to Kururu, and as soon as they made eye contact, Kururu looked away from her.

"But… But… No!" she yelled out. "When are you coming back!? When?!"

"I don't know. We'll come back for you, I promise! Now, go!" Giroro demanded, and Haruki nodded, hopping back onto his bike with Kirere.

Mahihi gulped, hard, then looked over his shoulder, "You get him out of here, I don't want him found, either. You, Time Bender-"

"I'll see them home safely," Botan nodded. "As I will the Martins."

"Thank you, love," Fujuju said with a nod. "And take Ri-"

"No," Rita snapped. "I'm going with you. I did this, so… I'm going to answer for it. It's what Mum would've done. I'm staying with you, and there's nothing that's going to change my mind about it."

"I-Very well," Fujuju sighed with defeat. He looked up to Botan, and she nodded; he quickly pushed Rita towards the Time Bender, and she grabbed onto her, disappearing with Frannie, Oliver, Maggie, and Waikiki as well, and Kirere looked over Haruki's shoulder to her parents. She watched until she could no longer see them, and then she began to cry.

"Prison's…. Not so bad, really," Fujuju reassured everyone gently. They sat in either side of a large holding cell, on benches, handcuffed. Both the Keroro Platoon and Romama platoon, as well as Mois, had been taken onboard. The Pekoponians, Mora, Karara, and Botan had all been spared. But the Keronians and lone Angol were less fortunate, sitting in the ship's brig.

A few guards peered in, and Rokiki shot his head toward them as they saw they were staring at him. He gave a growl, baring his teeth, and both bumped into one another as they backed away from the cell.

"Well, at least everything's back to normal for everyone else…." Mahihi sighed. "I really hope I get my one phone call, but I know the long distance bill will be insane…."

"…How's your shoulder?" Lupapa asked Dororo quietly, and the ninja, who sat next to her, lifted it up a bit in its sling.

"It will heal, Lupapa-dono," Dororo reassured her.

"…So this is the last we'll see of one another, huh?" Tamama said quietly. "…I hate to admit it, but I'll even miss Kiichi…."

"…Could you say, falling into the bowels of depression?" Mois murmured.

"I'm a celebrity. They'll make my bail, I'll give a few apologies, and I'll be fine. Happens all the time," Chunini shrugged this off coolly. "Koda-chan's the only one here I like, anyway, and that rule doesn't apply to families…. Right?..."

"Kuku…." Kururu chuckled, and glanced over to the still-glaring Rokiki. "You don't happen to have that information about your tribe's land on you, do you, kuku?"

"Eh? Why?"

"Do you?"

"Yes, but… I don't see what good it would do…. It's not as if I can prove who I am, or that it's even mine…. I don't even have the money to start something like that."

"Sankaku Keronians were known to have a special gene only Keronians in that tribe carried, kukuku! Yours would be extremely strong…. It's the reason you're as short as you are, Rokiki Tai, kuku!"

"I'm the only Sankaku Keronian left, so I don't even want to know how you got a sample of DNA to know that."

"Well, she's not short because of someone on my side of the family, kuku!"  
Rokiki shot his head over to Kururu, "Wait, what?"

"Keroro Gunso?" the bars opened, and there were several dark-blue guard Keronians. "And we'll need whoever is in charge of this other platoon, as well."

"That'd be you, Roki-kun," Mahihi nodded, and Rokiki uneasily stood, and followed the shuffling Keroro out of the cell. There was a feeling of certain dread in the air.

Fuyuki gave another sigh and rolled back in his chair. He'd been researching the alien that they'd faced off against with one of the many texts on aliens he had.

"Fuyuki?" Natsumi quietly opened up the door to his bedroom, and he startled to attention, "You're on dishes tonight, all right?"

"..Okay, Nee-chan."

"What's this?" she walked over to her brother's desk, and saw the illustration in the page; it was of a misty black nothingness, with a pair of wide eyes in the center.

"It's the alien that was posing as Kezanstav-san…. It's a type of parasite alien… There isn't all that much information them, but they were sort of… Space traders."

"So all of that just because he wanted some more things to trade? Unbelievable."

"They're known for taking out whole planets, Nee-chan. They're usually unstoppable once they start…."

"And having the technology to turn into anything doesn't help, either… He probably remembered Stupid Frog's uncle from years ago, heard about what happened with Kezanstav-san, and started making a plan…" Natsumi sighed. "…At least it's all over with."

"…Yeah," Fuyuki muttered, and rolled back around in his chair.

"I… I'm making our favorite dinner tonight. It'll be great! And Kirere's going to come over…. That idiot bill-dodger's taking her to Hawaii for a little while, but she's going to visit as much as she can before then!"

"…All right," Fuyuki gave a nod.

"…It'll be all right. Stupid Frog's done things like this before and pulled through," Natsumi smiled and reassured her brother. "It's just for a little while."

The hours Fuyuki awaited for Keroro and the Platoon to return home turned into days, and then a full two weeks had passed without any word from Keroro, any of the platoon members, or any of the Romama Platoon.

And slowly life in the Hinata residence fell back into the new-old normal, with both of the siblings taking over chores again. The door Keroro's room never opened, finally closing when Kirere had moved the last of her things out. The little girl was quiet for most of the move, promising to visit often, and then leaving with Haruki to live with the mechanic.

The meetings of the Occult Club were usually quiet affairs. There wasn't the same spirit as before. It was turning to spring, but everything seemed grayer.

Natsumi was out folding laundry, Neko sitting by the laundry pole, watching the redhead and sulking at the loss of her alien friend still. Natsumi, too, seemed sullen, and she looked over to the abandoned red tent in the backyard.

"….I know I should probably take it down, but… I really can't bring myself to… Plus it'd only upset Fuyuki if I did…" she sighed.

"Ah, the laundry's going to smell wonderful, Natsumi!" Aki smiled and stretched after walking in from the street through to the yard.

"Eh? Mama? You're home early! And… What's that, cake?" Natsumi glanced down at the plastic bag in her mother's hand, and Aki held it up, confused.

"The power shut down, so we weren't able to finish anything at work. Most of the artists were out the door before I could get them to sit still to go over their ideas! And I thought you said to bring home a cake anyway…"

"I hope this is enough!" Chandi stumbled in through the open gate, a pot in her hand. Mora followed behind her, floating, a large plastic container in her arms.

"We have both spicy and sweet bonda, and vindaloo, just like you asked. I never knew you had such an interest in Indian cooking, Natsumi-san!" Mora chirped.

"Vinda…? I… What's going on?" Natsumi blinked.

"Fuyuki-kun!" Momoka burst through, Paul following close behind her, both with arms full of gold-trimmed boxes. "I hope I'm not late! I brought sweets!"

"Natsumi-san!" Koyuki panted, and landed atop of the Hinatas' white fence, per usual. "I brought just what you asked!"

"Nishizawa-san!" Fuyuki exclaimed. "Azumaya-san!"

"Are we… What's this all about? Eh?! S-Saburo Senpai!" Natsumi squeaked as Saburo walked into the backyard, holding up a few white bags in one hand.

"I'm not much of a cook, I hope you don't mind me bringing chips," he admitted with a small chuckle.

"Just what-" she stopped, then, at the noise of the front door clicking shut. She and Fuyuki both cautiously crept into the living room, and began to search it. Nothing was out of place, it seemed. Fuyuki cautiously walked over to Keroro's room, took a deep gulp, and slowly opened the door to the alien's room.

It was dark. There was nothing here, either.

"…It was nice thinking that it was possible, at least…" he said quietly, and shut the door behind him.

"Gero gero ge…. Prepare to surrender, Pekoponian," Fuyuki shot up his head at this familiar scratchy voice, and a wide smile came across his face. He turned around, and there was Keroro, a grin across his face and the Kero ball in one hand.

"Gunso!" Fuyuki gasped, bending down and embracing the green invader tightly.

"S-Stupid Frog?!" Natsumi gasped. "…Does that mean, then….?"

"Kuku! …I suppose we're more difficult to get rid of than even you think."  
Natsumi turned around, and jumped. Not only the Keroro platoon (minus Kirere), but the Romama Platoon (minus Romama). And with them, Rita, Daisy, Lee, Botan, and Marco.

"…It'd seem as though everything is back to normal with the forests," Lupapa said with a calm smile.

"She had to check on our way here," Chunini rolled her eyes.

"Could you say, a happy reunion?" Mois chimed in.

"We… Stopped and picked up a few people on our way home. I hope you don't mind," Fujuju grinned.

"I…" Natsumi couldn't say anything else, she couldn't even choke out the words. She only grinned widely, and wiped her eyes. Giroro looked away from this scene, flushing. He'd missed her as well.

"Going to cry, old man? Kukuku!" Kururu chuckled, noting Giroro overcome with emotions.

"Sh-Shut up!" Giroro snapped.

The other Pekoponians walked in now, and could see that it was a reality; the Keroro platoon was really in front of them once more.

And while this happened, further down the street, Haruo Suzuyama sat across from Kirere and Haruki in the back of a long white limousine, Rocky the Shiba Inu pup at his side.

"Now I don't want you to be sad, Kirere-chan! And Haru, you quit looking like you're at a funeral, too! It's depressing!" Haruo said cheerfully, scratching the top of the dog's head. "You'll like it, a good, old-fashioned springtime family vacation! A nice sendoff before heading back to Hawaii!"

"…It'll be fun, kiddo," Haruki reassured Kirere, patting the little girl on the head. She only grumbled and scooted away from him. This had been her attitude during the entire two weeks.

Haruki looked out the window, and did a double-take, seeing he was in a familiar neighborhood. Haruo made a motion for Haruki to remain quiet, and Haruki nodded, although he could barely contain the smile that grew across his face.

"Well, we're here!" Haruo exclaimed as the cab came a halt, and the old man laughed a bit. "You two go on ahead… I'm going to go take Rocky down for a walk, I think."

"All right… C'mon, you'll like it!" Haruki gave a wide smile to Kirere, and she forced a smile of her own, and allowed him to lift her up out of the car. Haruki then covered her eyes, and Kirere frowned.

"Haruki! I can't see anything!"

"That'd be the point," Haruki chuckled, and continued to walk up towards the house. He found the door unlocked, and walked in. Kirere could hear voices, but there were too many to distinguish… Although… There were a few that... Sounded somewhat familiar…

Haruki set her down, then pulled away his hand from her eyes. Kirere squinted at first with the new light, then gasped in delight at the sight of her family in front of her. She immediately tackled Giroro in an embrace, laughing, then went for Kururu, stopping just short as he held out a hand to her. Giroro pulled a gun, and pressed it against Kururu's cheek. Kururu gave an annoyed sigh, and patted the girl atop the head.

"I thought I'd never see either of you again!" she sniffed, and clutched on to Giroro again.

"Stupid Frog… How did you make it back? And what were you doing there?" Natsumi wondered, turning to Keroro.

"That's right! Gunso, time goes faster on Keron, doesn't it? So how long were you actually gone for?"

"Oh, I'd say about a month…. There was a great deal of paperwork… And begging… And more paperwork… And then some more begging…" Keroro trailed off at this point, staring blankly ahead.

"Plus they were interested about us, too," Mahihi sighed.

"Who wouldn't be?" Chunini chuckled.

"They were quite curious about how Kero-chan knew everyone… And how we existed. They were quite intent on keeping us on Keron for a bit!" Fujuju admitted.

"Rokiki-san saved us!" Tamama chimed in.

"Eh? Rokiki-kun?" Mora turned her head to the red Keronian, and he only gave a shrug.

"It wasn't anything I wasn't going to use, anyway," Rokiki answered.

"Kuku! The contract that was given to his tribe was good for as long as the tribe survived. Apparently they didn't think they would be around long," Kururu chuckled. "…It was just a bit of swampland, but they were to inherit one acre more every year."

"It's been so long, that much land would have been huge!" Tamama exclaimed.

"And it didn't help that on that now is the capitol," Giroro smirked.  
Rokiki continued, "I promised to void the contract if they let us continue our lives as we had…"

"Hey, you're missing my favorite part, about how we were never declared dead and still on payroll!" Mahihi laughed. "…We agreed to void that part, too…"

"That's really something that helped save us," Keroro admitted.

Daisy placed a hand warningly atop Mahihi's skull, "You should have asked for something! We're barely making it by on our salaries as it is!"

"Ehehehe… D-Don't worry, Daisy, I'll think of something!" Mahihi chuckled weakly.

"…When I look at them, I can't help but see the future of someone else…." Keroro muttered, looking over to Giroro. The red Corporal jumped.

"W-What?! What are you looking at!?" Giroro demanded.

"Ha ha! I wish we could stay more, but I have to get home to the kids!" Mahihi laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Plus Daisy's work is in full-force this time of the year!"

"Well, we have to get ready for the summer season," she answered.

"Oh? And what does Daisy-dono do?" Keroro asked politely.

"Eh, voice-acting, mainly," Mahihi replied coolly. "They're just starting this new series and she got the part as the lead."

"Gero? Series?"

"…Some TV show about an Admiral… Geroro?" Daisy looked to Mahihi questioningly.

"It doesn't matter, what's important is I'm back. And I'm not going anywhere for a long, long time, I promise," Mahihi smiled.

"A-Admiral Geroro? S-She's… The voice actor…?"

"For some of the English dubs," Daisy answered.

"Take me with you," Keroro said flatly. "Please."

"Oh, no you don't. You've got a whole month of chores to make up for, Stupid Frog!" Natsumi snapped, lifting Keroro up by the head. "And don't think I won't be taking that stupid Kero ball from you later, too! You're not trustworthy at all when it comes to that thing!"

"Hehehe! Well, I'd love to stay, but I have to get back to my family," Kodada said with an apologetic smile. "I have a lot of explaining to do to my family, and it'll be a lot easier now that I can change back into a Pekoponian again…. Nee-chan, do you want to come?"

"Eh?! Me?" Chunini's eyes went wide, and the cold pop singer's hard exterior melted for a moment.

"Mm-hm! I… I want them to meet you," Kodada tilted her head to a side and smiled, and Chunini glanced at Lee, then slowly walked over to Kodada, a childlike, excited look upon her face. "Miss Lee?" Lee turned her head to Kodada. "You're welcome to come, too. You're my Nee-chan's family, so that makes you mine, too!"

"I… I would like that very much…" Lee flushed a bit, and followed the two out.

"Fujuju, are you going to back to Maggie and Oliver?" Natsumi asked, and the scientist's smile fell a bit. "…Say, why aren't they here?"

"Well… I'm… Not their tutor, anymore, at their sister's request," he said quietly. "But… That's all right. They learned all they needed to from me. Now just… To focus on a wedding…" he looked up at Botan a bit, and she smiled back down at him. "…We weren't planning on one originally, but I had a change of heart."

"Chunini and I threatened to beat the crap out of him if he didn't propose," Lupapa answered, and Fujuju flinched. The purple Keronian looked up to Marco, and gave a relaxed smile. "It'll be nice getting home for more than just a visit… I can only imagine how things went without me."

"Actually, we were able to fight off some loggers on our own!" Marco said, a wide grin on his face. Lupapa was stunned by this. "I guess you not being there sort of reminded us that you won't always be there, Auntie."

Lupapa was stunned, but her frown turned into a smile, "That's right. You're growing up. Well, for now you're not getting rid of me! Let's go home, I'm cold…"

"Auntie's always cold," Marco chuckled.

"I'll see you out, Lupapa-dono," Dororo raised his hand, the good one, to signify this. The other was still wrapped in a sling from the blow he had suffered. The ninja followed the purple Keronian and her nephew out, and Fujuju and Botan followed them.

"Rita?" Fujuju turned back to the young woman, who had stood quietly throughout this entire exchange. "Would you care to come back with us? From what I understand, you've been a great help to Botan during this time, and… We wouldn't mind if you stayed with us a bit longer."

"With you?" Rita asked, and Fujuju nodded. "I… Well, all right…." she gave a weak smile, and he patted the girl on the head as they walked out of the house.

"Are we getting to the party now, Gunso-san?" Tamama asked hopefully, his eyes on the sweets.

"…After one more thing, Tamama-chan," Keroro replied.

Keroro wore a black band over his arm, as did the other platoon members. Instead of her normal green wristband, Mois wore a black one with a yellow star on it. And Rokiki watched this from the sidelines with Mora and the other Pekoponians. All stood atop the hill behind Romama's apartment building, Keroro in front of them, Romama's helmet in his hands.

"….What a nice thing to do for his uncle…" Karara said with awe.

Rokiki nodded, "Yes, it-Eh?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Shh, Rokiki-kun! Karara-chan's been staying with us!" Mora whispered.

"Sensei's been teaching me all about matchmaking!" Karara replied.

"Sensei? Oh, great," Rokiki grumbled and gave a roll of the eyes. Mora only nudged Rokiki in the ribs, and the tattooed Keronian looked straight ahead, stone-faced.

"Ojiisama, was…. A difficult soul to get along with… But he was still my Ojiisama. He… He liked yelling at me a lot. And hitting me. But I think that that was his way of getting lessons across to me," Keroro said quietly. "He… He'll always have a place in our hearts…"

Keroro's speech went on, and as it did, the sound of a clumping noise became more and more prevalent, finally stopping beside Kirere.

"…What's he doing? And when did everyone get back?" Romama asked her quietly.

"Oh! Well-W-W-WAHHHHH!" she gave a scream at the sight of Romama, and went tumbling back into Tamama. Both went tumbling down the hill, landing with a crash noise.

"….You're not going to check that out at all, are you?" Giroro asked plainly. Kururu only laughed, and the red Keronian grumbled, and began to make the trip downhill, stopping halfway. His eyes met with Romama's, and Giroro took a few steps back, before giving his own yell of horror at the sight of the "ghost", then tripping over his own feet and tumbling down the hill, landing atop Kirere and Tamama.

"Ojiisama….? O-Ojiisama?" Keroro's eyes filled with tears, and Romama sneered with disgust, backing away as best as he could in the crutches. The Keronian Major's right leg was in a full cast, and he balanced on two tiny crutches. Keroro didn't see this, however. He only saw the confused Romama. Keroro lifted up Romama into a tight embrace, sending the crutches flying, and Romama began to yell and curse as Keroro began to spin him around.

"So I heard everyone was taken, and I kept my distance… When I saw everyone out behind my apartment, I figured it was safe again," Romama finished sipping his tea, and Keroro took a sip of his own. Both sat out in the doorway, Romama's cast propped up now, and baring signatures from many of the Keronians and Pekoponians. The sight of the heart stickers Kirere had placed around her signature made him wince a bit every time he saw them, but he said nothing to the little girl.

"I… I'm just so glad Ojiisama's all right!" Keroro said cheerfully.

"What happened to that ring? And that alien?" Romama shot his head up. "You aren't going to use them, are you?"

"Gero, no. That'd be taking the easy way out, and if it's one thing I learned from Ojiisama, it's to work for something! …They're going to be put away somewhere safe. Oh! And it's been decided-Once we conquer, Pekopon will be a friendly place for both Aliens and Pekoponians! It's…. A little promise to Rita-chan."

"Well, it's a good one…" Romama looked away, and Keroro gave a hopeful grin. Romama shot his head to the Keronian, "If you're fishing for compliments on being selfless, you're out of luck."

"Gero…. S-So cold, Ojiisama, even in death…. But I suppose it's to be expected."

"I'm not dead, you idiot!"

"Well, here's your stop!" Mahihi called out to Fujuju and Botan, and the Time Bender rose, hitting her head on the roof of the ship in the process. She shut her eyes to quell her annoyance, and gave a deep sigh, rubbing her head. She was growing more and more used to this happening.  
The ship hovered over the familiar telephone booth, and Fujuju was the first to walk out, followed by Botan. Rita was about to exit with them with Mahihi called out to her.

"…If you wouldn't mind…. I know my son will have a lot of questions while he grows up," Mahihi said to her. "Would you mind if you talked to him, if he has any questions about being half-Pekoponian?"

"I… Why, I'd love to," Rita's grin grew, and she hopped out of the ship. The ship, was soon gone, without anyone at all paying notice to it. It was back to having its invisibility shields. It quickly zoomed off, and they walked into Fujuju's home, one by one.

Rita took a seat in the recliner in the living room, and yawned. Fujuju smiled and shook his head.

"…It's amazing how much you remind me of your mother," he said as he walked over to her. Her eyes were already shutting.

"….I'm so sorry… About everything…" she yawned. "…And even after all of it, you saved me…"

"Of course, why wouldn't it?" he replied. "I'm just sorry I didn't get to know you sooner, Rita."

"It's all right, Dad. Eh? What's that?" she only noted now the black band around one of Fujuju's ankles.

"Planet arrest," he shrugged. "It's only for a month or two. Then a year of parole… Apparently I made a few violations I was unaware of. I really can't stay out of trouble, it seems!" he said with an embarrassed grin.

"That makes two of us…" she muttered.

It didn't take long for Rita to fall asleep in the large recliner, and Fujuju left her to this, disappearing into one of the back rooms. Botan passed by her and smiled, and placed a blanket over the young woman. She then went in search of Fujuju. She found him in their room, some photo albums spread out on the bed. He jumped, and immediately went to shut one, only to be stopped by Botan, who took the album from him and silently began to flip through it. Pictures of him, Maggie, and Oliver, and later on, herself.

"…I wish she would have let me say goodbye. Well… Can't always have what we want, am I right?" he said quietly. "Plus, there's Rita, now… And the baby…"

"…Get your coat," Botan shut the photo album, and Fujuju frowned with confusion.

A little while later, when dinnertime was creeping up in the London neighborhood, a redheaded man in a fedora, brown suit and red and yellow scarf walked down the street beside a tall, pale woman, dressed in a light lavender summer dress. They stopped in front of a small house, and both could see through parted curtains the Martin twins at the dining room table, working quietly on their schoolwork. A smile came across Fujuju's face as he saw this. Frannie walked up to them, leaning over and looking at their work.

"So… She said I was dangerous to them?"

"Yes. I… I am sorry," Botan said, her voice falling. "I tried to make a good case for you."

"It's… It's all right. You did your best, and they're fine," he nodded, and continued down the sidewalk with Botan at his side.

They heard the door open, and Frannie call out to them, "I-Mr. Grant? That… That's your name, right?" She had seen them out of the corner of her eye out the window, and had rushed to catch them.

Fujuju turned around, and Frannie quietly shut the door, and walked down the steps of the home to meet them, "I just wanted to… I just… I don't… Always understand things. I'm not nearly as smart as they are, and… I know that. Things have been going well recently, very well. I just found out that… I'm going to be doing work designing the stages for your friend, that pop singer."

"Ah, wonderful, dear," Fujuju nodded, feigning a smile but otherwise doing a poor job at keeping the look of sadness off of his face.

"I'm going to be really busy, and… The things you taught them in the past year I couldn't even begin to teach them! I just can't keep up with them anymore thanks to you, it seems!" she chuckled.

"Get to your point," Botan demanded, and Fujuju gave his fiancé a quick glance. "My apologies. I'm learning empathy. Get to your point… Now."

"We're working on it," Fujuju explained.

"I'd love for you to keep tutoring Maggie and Oliver," said Frannie. "I just wish there was a way there was some way I wouldn't keep worried."

"I can take care of that, if you wish," Botan placed a hand on the side of Frannie's head, and she grabbed hold of the young woman as she fainted, nearly falling to the ground. "….I did something wrong…?" Botan asked, noting the displeased look on Fujuju's face.

"You… You're supposed to ask, first… N-Nevermind, I'll, just…" he attempted to lift Frannie up, and struggled his way to the door, losing more and more face with Botan as he struggled up the stairs with Frannie in his arms. He lost his footing just when he'd made it to the door, and fell through the doorway.

Maggie and Oliver both bolted up from their seats at the sound of the noise. Fujuju looked up from his place on the floor, the fainted Frannie atop him, at both wide-eyed children.

"Oh my God, you killed her?!" Maggie gasped.

"N-No! She's… She's just sleeping. I promise," Fujuju chuckled, and propped up the fainted woman. Frannie gave a small groan, and Oliver and Maggie helped carry her to the couch.

"Fujuju…. What are you doing here? I thought, well…" Maggie's eyes went to the sleeping Frannie, then back to Botan and Fujuju. Fujuju gave a bit of a grin.

"Well, your sister, she…."

"Her memory of an alien encounter has been erased," Botan explained.  
"She wished for it."

"She did?" Maggie gasped. "But, why?..."

"So she wouldn't worry when we went off on our adventures," Fujuju answered, his smile growing. Both the Martin twins stared, stunned, and Maggie was the first one to embrace Fujuju, nearly knocking him off of his feet. Oliver stared at the ground a moment, unsure, then leapt forward and joined his sister and tutor. "Hehe! I'm glad to see you both, too!"

"So… Where are we going first?" Maggie asked in a laugh.

"Anywhere. Anywhere you want! That's… On Pekopon. And I have to be back on Tuesdays to check with my officer. For a while, at least."

"Officer?" Oliver repeated. "Are you on parole or somethin'?"

"Eh?... Bloody… That's the best nap I've had in ages!" Frannie yawned and sat up. "Eh?! Who… Who're-"

"Oh? Pleasure to meet you, Miss!" Fujuju smiled and tipped his fedora to Frannie. "I am Elijah Grant-The children's tutor! This is my fiancé."  
Frannie looked over Botan and smiled, "Oh, how wonderful, another set of twins, am I right?"

Fujuju's smile immediately fell, and he snapped his head to Botan. Her eyes were wide, but she said nothing.

"C-C'mon, now, Fran, you have to get back to work…" Maggie stuttered, helping her sister up and toward the back of the house.

"Work? What…. Am I doing something for some singer?"

"Yes, you went to Japan last month to discuss it with her."

"Japan?! Why did I-"

"It's a long story," and then the sound of the door closing. Oliver nodded, content with this, then his eyes fell back on Fujuju and Botan. Fujuju went to kiss Botan, but he stopped halfway as he noticed Oliver's presence in the room.

"I'm… Going to get on my homework. Don't mind me any," Oliver chuckled, and went back to his work.

"Twins…" Fujuju repeated with a shake of the head, and laughed a bit.  
He had gone from having absolutely no family… To a larger one than he could have ever imagined.

Rokiki watched the party from the outside. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the party, well into the nighttime hours. Kirere had finally passed out from the excitement of it all, and had fallen asleep on the couch. He watched as Giroro quietly lifted up the little girl and took her into her room, away from the noise, and Rokiki quietly touched the triangle tattoo on his forehead.

"Rokiki-kun?" Mora's voice was quiet, but surprising enough to him to make Rokiki jump. "Are…. You all right?

"Y-Yes, why?"

"You don't seem yourself tonight, is all…." Mora replied, the concern evident in her voice.

"Mora, I…" Rokiki turned to her, and shut his eyes. "I can't marry you. I'm sorry."

"I know," she nodded. "I rushed into it…. So… Don't worry about it. We'll just take our time."

She smiled and took hold of his hand, and Rokiki gave a sharp intake of air, "I… I have a lot of questions I need answers to…. Things that can't be answered here. So… I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Go?" Mora repeated, and Rokiki pulled his hand away from hers. "Rokiki-kun…. Did you… Meet someone while you were on Keron?"

"No," he answered. "I promise you there isn't anyone. I just… It's difficult to explain."

"I understand," Mora said quietly. "…How long are you going to be gone for? Or are you going to come back at all?"

Rokiki was quiet for this, and his eyes fell to the ground, "Until I get my answers. If I ever do. I… I do know I want to be better for you. And I can't be like that until I find what I need."

"I'll wait for you," Rokiki was stunned at these words. Mora smiled, although there were tears in her eyes, "I waited this long for prince, what's a little while longer? ….I know Rokiki-kun will come back when the time is right."

Rokiki flushed, then walked away from the house, only turning back once to Mora, "Eh… Kuani e omap ash… I'm rusty in my old language, but… I think I said that right…."

"I know what you meant," Mora said with a soft, sad smile. She then allowed Rokiki to go, and she rejoined the party. She would talk to Chandi about this and cry later… For now, though, she would celebrate the return of everyone else.


	53. Giroro, Kururu, Kirere: Our Vacation Pt1

Anywayyyyyy new chapter *yay!* Please enjoy! ^_^

Episode 27:  
Giroro, Kururu, and Kirere: Panic! Our First Family Vacation!  
Part 1

A bag of peanuts exploded, and the young woman with orange hair giggled at this. A strange, yellow-faced man in a suit one row in front of them grunted and brushed these off of his computer, and the red-faced man who sat beside the girl quietly shushed her, although she kept giggling.

"I didn't mean it…" Kirere chuckled.

"I know, but we want to keep as low a cover as possible here," Giroro reminded her, and she nodded, and looked out the window. Her eyes went wide, and she stood up in her seat, knocking Giroro in the head in the process.

"I can see it from here! I can see it!" Kirere shouted happily.

"K-Kirere!" Giroro yelped.

"Excuse me, Miss? Would you please sit? You're disturbing the other passengers," a flight attendant said, giving a small bow. Kirere gasped and returned to her seat, and Giroro rubbed his aching forehead.

"Hrm?" Garuru's attention was caught by one e-mail in particular. He skimmed through all of the spam, online orders, and work mail to the one from Kirere. He was used to getting these, usually once or twice a month… Sometimes with pictures attached. The pictures and e-mails past hung up proudly on a wall of his room, replacing what had been a heavy metal poster decorating the wall at one time.

He opened the e-mail, and read over it once… Twice… Four times. It was sometimes difficult to understand the little girl's writing, which usually ran together as one long, excited sentence.

"A family vacation…?" he repeated, and then opened another page on the computer screen. "…I have a bit of time saved up, don't I?"

He closed out of his mail, and exited his room.

"Now, you're at a fancy dinner, what do you do next?" Taruru asked. Tororo only looked ahead at him blankly.

"…Eat?"

"No, no-You pull out the chair for the lady!"

"What if there aren't any chairs?"

"Eh?! Well, I don't know, then… None of these books covered it," Taruru flipped through one of the books in the stack at his side, then sighed and tossed it aside. "I guess you would just pull out the cushion…."

In the middle of Taruru's room was set up a bistro table with a white cloth and matching metal chairs. And decorating the table was a bread basket, a glowing candle, and two spaghetti dinners.

"Where did you find all of this, anyway?" Tororo wondered aloud, lifting up a fork to study it.

"I have my ways!" Taruru laughed cryptically. "All to help the greater cause, right?"

"I never asked for your help in the first place!" Tororo snapped.

"Now we're on to chapter three! Dinner conversation!" Tororo's words either had not effected Taruru, or he had heard them to begin with. "You want to start off with compliments, but don't be creepy about it, Tororo-kun."

Silence followed them, "….Pupupu, what do you want me to do?"

"Well, pretend I'm Kirere-chan!" Taruru said happily, pointing to himself.

Tororo snorted, "I don't think I have an imagination that good… This is stupid. I'm going back to my room."

"Eh… W-Well, just try, Tororo-chan! Sensei can't help you otherwise!"

"When did I make you my sensei?!" Tororo snapped, banging a fist down on the table. He sat back, and sighed with defeat. "You have nice… Eyes… I guess."

"Oh, you!" Taruru answered with a shrill laugh, and Tororo shuddered.

"I can't do this if you're going to be like that!" Tororo grumbled, and hopped off of his chair.

"Aw, hey, wait-" Taruru started to go for Tororo, but both came to a sudden halt as they noticed that some time during the exchange, Garuru had walked in. All three stood there, wordless.

"…I'm taking leave for the week," Garuru finally said evenly, having regained himself. "My family is going on vacation in Okinawa."

Taruru lit up, "Oh! With your brother and Kirere-chan?"

"Yes. Why-"

"Well, what do you know, so are we!" Taruru said cheerfully.

"Wait-We're what?!" Tororo hissed.

"Really. I didn't see you put in paperwork for it, Taruru."

"Ahahaha! Well, you know how it is! Maybe perhaps we could catch a ride with Teicho?"

"…I don't see why not. Now… Put that candle out. It's a hazard on a ship like this," his shadow then left the doorway, and Taruru breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ah! Looks like we'll have to get packing, huh?" Taruru giggled. Tororo punched Taruru in the shoulder, then slunk out of the room, his face red. "O-Okay, I'll get my suitcase out then!"

Garuru looked to his left, and to his right, "…I may as well tell the others about this as well, if three of us are going…."

He knocked on Pururu's door, and jumped back as she opened. She looked visibly upset, and she gave a smile to hide this.

"I… Are you all right?"

"Oh, yes, Garuru Chui," she gave a chuckle. "I was just checking my mail, and it seems as though another friend of mine is getting married, and they want me to be a bridesmaid."

"Ah. You've been taking a lot of trips to go to weddings this year it seems," he said with a nod.

"Well, it's only been five this year so far-It seems as though everyone's getting married now!" she followed with an unnatural, awkward laugh. "Just makes you realize how old you're getting though, doesn't it?"

"I… Suppose."

She gave another laugh, "I… Not that we're old or anything, right?"

"There's nothing wrong with the aging process," Garuru replied. The moment he said this, he knew that it'd been the wrong thing to say to her. "I'm… I need to fix the boiler… It's making peculiar noises again."

He quickly rushed away from her, and Pururu was left in the doorway. She looked to the left down the hall, and spotted Zoruru, on his way to his room from training, presumably.

"Oh, Zoruru-kun! You… You don't think I'm old, right?" she asked, her voice dropping.

The assassin shot his head up, "Eh?!"

"Wowwwww!" Kirere rushed across the hotel room to get to the balcony. She immediately opened it and ran out onto it, and looked out at the beach in front of them. "You have to see this!"

"Giro?" Giroro surveyed the hotel room. One… Two beds… He then looked at Kururu and shuddered. Kururu only laughed. "They…. They swore this was a triple on the phone…."

"Just so you know, I like to cuddle kukuku!"

"I-I'm sleeping on the couch, anyway!" Giroro answered, tossing his bag on the couch to claim it as his own. He turned around and snapped at Kururu, "And quit being creepy!"

"Kuuuuukuku!"

"….H-How am I supposed to do this for a week?" Giroro asked himself beneath his breath. "…Combat, certainly, but… I don't think I'm strong enough for something like this…."

"Oh, they have an area where you can swim with dolphins!" the young girl had bounced back in from the porch, and was now looking over some brochures that were laid out on a table in the hotel room. "And there's a shopping district, and lots of beaches!"

"That… That's wonderful…"

"Kukuku, she's so easily impressed…"

"D-Don't say something like that!"

"Kuku… Kirere-chan, look," he walked over to the hotel door and opened it to the hall. "They have their own icemakers here, too. Just like in the movies."

"Oh, wow!" she grinned, and rushed out to see it.

"I… Well…" Giroro cleared his throat and shook his head. "We should head down to the beach soon… Maybe get lunch."

He gave a small yelp at the familiar noise of metal being tossed about, and peered out the hall against his better judgment, "K-Kirere! D-Don't take that apart!"

"…I just wanted to see if it worked like a refrigerator…" she mumbled, walking away from the disassembled machine crestfallen. Another guest was on his way to fill up a bucket of ice, but stopped, befuddled at the sight of the ice maker sitting on the floor in pieces.

"Let's… Go downstairs and decide where we want to eat," Giroro suggested, and rubbed his forehead; it was pounding.

It'd taken a lot of begging and pleading… And threatening, in the case of convincing Kururu to come along-but Giroro had finally managed to organize a vacation for the three. Originally it was to have been only Kirere and himself, but at the little girl's pleading, he persuaded (with a gun) Kururu to come with them. Then there was the problem of getting everyone else not to tag along…. Truth be told, he would not have minded Natsumi, or even Fuyuki, to join them. But they had exams. Keroro had tried throughout the week to drop hints that he wanted to go, but Giroro had finally struck up a bargain with the Sergeant-He would forego going on the trip with them, and in exchange, having a nagging-free week from Giroro. Giroro had to bite his tongue hard to agree with this.

And without Keroro, there would be no Tamama coming along. Dororo was away for the week, training in the Amazon with both Koyuki and Lupapa, so this was no worry.

All of these worries vanished when they got to the white beach, now out of their Pekoponian suits and free to roam the beach with their cloaking devices set to on. Giroro gave a sigh of relief and stretched. Finally, room to relax…

"You know, I really miss when they would offer you free space peanuts with every flight. It seems now they're finding a way to charge you for everything! And I can never open the packet right-They're always exploding on me!"

The voice was vaguely familiar. Giroro shook this off, and continued down to the beach. The sun was beautiful in the sky, and the air fresh… Kirere immediately ran down to the shoreline to inspect it.

"Pupupu, all I know is I need food now. It's been two hours since my last snack…." Another familiar voice. Giroro shook this off, as well, but he couldn't fight off the dread.

"We'll find where they're staying, and then we'll work on snacks," this voice was unmistakable. Giroro stopped dead in his tracks, Kururu beside him. A Frisbee hit Giroro on the side of the head, and the Corporal didn't budge. Kururu tossed it towards the water, although he gave a curse and clutched onto his back, having heard it pop in the process of this. Instead of hitting the water, it hit Kirere on the back of the head, sending her flailing off balance and then out into the water. Giroro still remained there, as Kirere floated out towards sea.

"Did you want to get her, Senpai, kukuku?" Kururu laughed, pointing towards the purple and pink bobbing object in the ocean. Giroro yelped and went rushing after Kirere, all while Garuru, Tororo, and Taruru took their place beside Kururu.

"Kuku, you're on Pekopon? What motives could you have for this, I wonder? Kuuuuukuku!" Kururu chuckled to Tororo, and the orange Keronian gave a snarl. He began to retort, but felt a hand come quickly down atop his helmet with a thud. And Garuru's hand remained there, clutched onto Tororo's helmet.

"I don't get a lot of time with my niece, understand, Tororo Shinpei. The little time I do have, I would like to go off without incident," Garuru said coolly, than removed his hand.

"….I so want to be as cool as that one day," Taruru said with awe.

"It's good to have a few unattainable dreams, kukuku!"

About this time, Giroro had sloshed back to the shore, covered in seaweed, and with an embarrassed Kirere in his arms. He set her down, and then placed his hands on his knees, and began to pant.

"You have something, on…." Garuru started, and Giroro jerked his head up, and he felt it. He felt it on the side of his face, amongst the seaweed. Kirere reached up, and pulled it off. Giroro took a single look at the sea cucumber and passed out, just saved from falling on the sand by Kururu.

"He's sort of cute," she giggled, examining the sea cucumber. She then turned her attention to Garuru, and rushed at him, embracing him tightly. Tororo watched this with increasing jealousy. "This is such a great surprise!" she giggled.

"Well, I saw you mention it in your e-mail, I thought I would take the opportunity to take my vacation as well. The weather's nice this time of year on Pekopon."

"Come on, let's put him back now," Garuru took her hand and she followed him to the shore, sea cucumber in hand.

"They e-mail one another," Tororo mumbled, his shoulders slumping.

"Strength, Tororo-kun, strength!" Taruru whispered. He then sighed, and patted Tororo on the back, "…Come on, we'll go get some ice cream…. It's only her Uncle, so there's no worry! She's not the type who gets a lot of boys, anyway. You're lucky she's homely!"

"Giro? Neh…." Giroro shakily sat up on the bed and rubbed his aching head.

"Kukuku, two hours. I think that's a new record," Kururu looked up from his laptop to Giroro, and the soldier glanced to the hacker.

"I had a nightmare…." Giroro mumbled.

"I'm guessing I was in it, kuku!"

"You usually are."

"I feel honored. And your brother, too? And two of his subordinates?"

"….Yes, they were. How, did…"

"We got the room!" Kirere said happily, bursting into the hotel room in her Kururuko outfit, "They're right next door!"

"The original guests had to cancel. We had a stroke of luck, I suppose," Garuru walked in behind his niece. "Tororo and Taruru are unpacking."

"N-Nii-chan! What are you doing here?!" Giroro yelped, hopping off of the bed and swaying back and forth a bit; the floor was spinning, it seemed.  
"I heard it was a family vacation, and I'm family," Garuru replied blankly, and Giroro began to sputter. Kirere clicked the swirl symbol on the suit, and transformed back into her original form, and watched Giroro as he continued to try to form sentences, but to no avail.

"We're going to have a cookout!" Kirere said hopefully to Giroro, as if this would make him feel a bit better. Giroro only stopped, and looked at the little girl, puzzled.

"We bought hotdogs," Garuru explained.

"Yup, nothing that'll require chopsticks!" Kirere said happily to Garuru, who only startled a bit, and cleared his throat.

"Let's see if they're ready to go downstairs," Garuru said coolly to the little girl, patting her on the head. The door closed behind them, and Kururu went back to typing on his laptop. This slowed, and the hacker finally looked up, having been distracted by a heavy breathing noise. It was Giroro, bright red, heaving, and fists clenched. One of these finally went through a wall.

"Feel better?"

"Much," Giroro answered, having regained his cool now, all at the price of one wall. "…That won't cost you much, will it?"

"Kukuku, why would it? I put your card down on the room."

"NEH?! Giro… That bastard! Who is he to come and invite himself to our family vacation!?" Giroro hissed.

"I'm just as upset as you are," Kururu snorted flatly, and went back to his laptop.

"…We'll have to make the best of this," Giroro reassured himself with a nod. "Kururu, are you coming?"

"Are you going to lead me out at gunpoint if I don't?"

"Yes."

"I suppose we have our answer, then, kuku!"

"So what was that about everyone getting arrested a few months ago?" Taruru asked. Garuru quietly turned his head to Giroro and awaited his answer. The Keronians sat around a small bonfire, packages of hotdogs and marshmallows spread out around them.

"We… The charges were dropped on most of us!" Giroro snapped, flushing. "It was just a giant misunderstanding!"

"Dad had to pay a few parking tickets he'd forgotten about!" Kirere chimed in.

"I'm so jealous you all knew the Romama Platoon this whole time!" Taruru went on. "And to think Chu's one of them…" he sighed. "She's so pretty… I'm surprised you never asked her for makeup tips, Kirere-chan!"

"Somehow I don't think you're her type, kuku!" Kururu chuckled.

"H-Here…I made an extra one," Tororo held out a stick with a cooked marshmallow at the end of it to Kirere. "I thought I'd want it, but I'm already full enough, it seems, pupupu!"

"Oh, that's okay, I don't really like sweets," she answered, and Tororo flinched.

"I'll take it off your hands, kuku!" Kururu reached over and took the stick from Tororo's hand, and proceeded to eat it, all while Tororo looked on in red-faced hatred of the hacker.

"I'm just glad everything was sorted out without incident," Garuru admitted, and poked at the fire.

"It's a shame Fuyuki had to be at school, otherwise we'd be hearing some really good ghost stories!" Kirere chuckled, and Giroro came to a start, and he felt himself begin to sweat a bit.

"M-Maybe it's a good thing we're in such a small group, then…" he mumbled.

"Ghost stories?" Garuru repeated.

"Oh, I know a few of those!" Taruru laughed. "We used to tell them to try to scare one another when we went on class trips! Of course, no one really ever got scared on mine, hahaha!"

A thought went through Tororo's head, then. Kirere was next to him… A scared girl usually clung onto someone nearby, from what he'd seen on TV shows.

"Pupupu, you should tell us one," Tororo suggested. "There's always room for a good scary story."

"Very much agreed," Garuru nodded. "Let's have it, Taruru Ittohei."

"All right," Taruru leaned in, and gave a wide smile, and held up his hands. His face was now shadowed heavily by the fire in front of him, "Well, let's make it clear that this actually happened. It happened to a friend of a friend of Karara-chan's, she told me so. Well, it was during a school trip. It'd been raining, and the sun hadn't been out in days, and it's probably important to mention they were out in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Now, there was rumor that years ago, an old hermit had lived there-A hermit… With a hook for a hand…"

There was a high-pitched scream, then. Tororo was shocked as he saw no Kirere, but instead he looked over, as all did, at the sight of Giroro clinging onto Kirere.

"I-It's okay, it's just a story!" Kirere chuckled with embarrassment, and Giroro slowly let go of his grip.

"Oh, boy… I forgot my place now!" Taruru sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh! I can tell you some that Haruki told me about!" Kirere said happily. "It's all about a Yokai that cleans bathrooms!"

"Not that one!" Kururu and Giroro snapped in unison.

"…I'm going to kill that bill dodger when I get home," Giroro said with a clenched fist.

And so the awkward cookout went on, until the fire was near-dead and Kirere was nodding off to sleep. Giroro sighed and lifted her up, while Garuru extinguished the fire.

They walked back up to the hotel room, Tororo stopping in front of one of the shop windows along the way. Taruru took a moment to pause next to him, and laughed.

"That's really cute! And to think I never knew your mind worked like that!" Taruru chuckled.

"…Know that I will kill you before all of this is over," Tororo said wearily.  
And the following morning, after a somewhat-peaceful night's rest, Giroro opened the front door and lifted up the bouquet of flowers.

"Just what the hell kind of mind game are you playing with me, Kururu?!" he barked, looking over his shoulder to the yellow hacker. Kururu was once more on his laptop, and looked up from the screen to Giroro.

"I'm on vacation, like I would take time out of that to play mind games with you, kukuku! Plus there's already so many things I can do to upset you that don't involve me spending money, Senpai, kuku!"

"Eh?" Kirere walked out from the balcony, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the brightly-colored flowers. "Oh, they must be from downstairs!"

"Downstairs?" Giroro repeated, and she took the bouquet from his hands.

"Yeah! One of the guys down there was really nice to me yesterday when I was in Papa's Kururuko outfit! He kept telling me I was pretty and we should go have lunch while I'm here!"

"….Did he now…. I'll be right back," Giroro muttered, and left Kirere with the flowers. He climbed into his Pekoponian suit, and calmly stepped into the elevator.

The screams from below could be heard even in Kirere and Kururu's room, but neither paid much heed to this. Kururu went back to his mystery work, and Kirere climbed up on a table and adjusted one of the flowers so it stuck right above one of her earphones. She smiled, content at the red hibiscus's placement, and hopped back down.

"How do I look?" she asked Kururu excitedly.

"You don't want my answer to that. …Kuku, at this rate we'll get kicked out if he keeps acting out like that," Kururu chuckled as he heard a scream from downstairs.

Giroro walked in, disheveled-looking, and just as calmly hopped back out of his Pekoponian suit, "All right, let's go tour the temples."

"…Hey, what happened to him?" Taruru whispered to Kirere as they walked along the green path on route to one of the many Okinawa temples. He had noted a few bruises on Giroro, and had kept his distance. Garuru was taking photographs every few feet, while Kururu had a video recorder set to on. He was more focused on some of the more attractive female tourists than the temple, though.

"Oh, some guy gave me flowers, and he got really upset," Kirere answered nonchalantly, and Tororo felt his blood freeze.

"D-D-Does he do that a lot to people who like you?"

"Haha, sometimes, I guess!" Kirere chuckled. "Kire? You're not saying he did that because he liked me, are you?"

"Well, sometimes people do…." Tororo mumbled.

"Oh, that must be it, up there!" Taruru called out happily as they approached the temple. "Wow! It's so crowded, too, haha!"

"Urk!" Tororo gave a yelp as one of the passing-by people, not seeing the invisible Keronian, bumped into him, and sent him to the concrete ground.

"Eh? Tororo-kun, are you all right?" Kirere gasped, and bent down to help him.

"Does it look like it?" he snapped, and sat up. "My glasses, I lost them!"

"What? They've got to be around here somewhere…" Kirere mumbled, and began to look about the path. "…I think they fell down there…" she mumbled, leaning over and looking down into the heavily-forested, steep hill on the side of the path. "Come on, Tororo-kun!"

"W-What? Wait!" he called out, but before he could protest, she had already taken him by the hand, and was leading him down the side. His face went bright red…Maybe losing his glasses was one of the better things that had happened to him lately.

"All right, let's get a group photo… Taruru Ittohei, you wouldn't mind?" Garuru asked, handing the camera off to Taruru. They had finally stopped in front of the temple, and Garuru took his place beside a weary-looking Giroro.

"All right, Kirere, you get in, too…." he sighed. "…Kirere?" he looked about, and saw her nowhere in sight.

"…That little brat's missing, too, I see, kuku…." Kururu added, placing a hand to his mouth.

"Come on, let's find them," Garuru suggested, and Giroro nodded.

"We'll take the left, you and Taruru can take the right," Giroro added.

"Sounds good. Taruru, come on-We don't have time to waste," Garuru said in a stern tone, and rushed away from the front of the temple, calling out his niece's name.

"Wow! He's good!" Taruru whispered, and then followed close to his superior.


	54. Giroro, Kururu, Kirere: Our Vacation Pt2

Holy wow-Finally I managed to finish this! :D Had a lot of fun with it, too. Well, as always, sorry about the wait, and I really hope you enjoy this!

Episode 26  
Giroro, Kururu, and Kirere: Panic! Our First Family Vacation!  
Part 2

"Did you find them?" Tororo asked, feeling around the ground for the missing glasses.

"No, not yet," Kirere answered with a frown, turning over a rock to look for them. She found nothing, and gave a sigh, setting this down again. She took another step, and heard a loud crunch.

"What was that?" Tororo asked, his head shooting up.

"N-Nothing!" Kirere answered, holding up the damaged glasses… One lens was scuffed up, and the other totally shattered. "I… Think I might have found your glasses, Tororo-kun…"

"Really? Give them here, then!"

"Kire?" Kirere turned at the sound of a crackling noise. It was distant, but… She could still hear it. It sounded like a hissing noise, almost. Kirere looked about her, and then the little girl went from salmon pink to stark white. The snake seemed to stare back at her, looking at the two curiously.

She remembered this snake, from the lecture Giroro had given her before they'd left…

Hoping not to disturb the irritable habu snake, Kirere lifted up Tororo, and ran away screaming into the forest, Tororo struggling to keep up with her.

The snake remained unmoved, more confused than anything.

They finally stopped when Kirere tripped over a tree root. She went flying, and Tororo went flying behind her. He was the first to land, and Kirere landed atop him, knocking the wind out of him.

"Pupupu... Neh?!" his face went bright red as the little girl raised her head and opened her eyes, and Kirere pulled herself up and sat back, adjusting her headphones.

"Tororo-kun, are you all right?"

"I…"

"Oh, no! Your glasses!" Kirere's eyes flew open and she gasped. The pink Keronian bolted up and began to search around the ground for them, while Tororo eased himself up with the help of a nearby tree.

"Forget about them… They're probably wrecked, anyway…" he grumbled, clutching onto his back. He wasn't used to exercise like running…  
"I… Are you sure?"

"I have another pair in my suitcase back at the hotel," he explained, wincing as he took a few steps toward her. "Let's… Just go back there. It's not like it's that far or anything."

"Right!" Kirere nodded and smiled, and then the silence of the cicadas filled the air. Neither said a thing, only looked around the dense woods surrounding them. "You… You don't remember which direction we came from, do you?..."

More loud chirping.

"…I think it was this way!" she finally called out. "Come on."

She took him by the hand, and the boy about collapsed, and his face went bright red once more.

"Eh? Tororo-kun, are you all right?"

"Y-Yeah. Can we just go already? It's hot out here!" Tororo answered with a nervous frown. Kirere gave a giggle, and he shot his head up. "…What's so funny?"

"Your eyes are really nice!" she answered with a smile, and his mouth twitched.

He must have died when they fell, he thought. There was no other way this would be happening…

"I think I heard them down here!" Giroro called out, and Garuru and Taruru followed. Giroro was down halfway on the steep hill, when he realized someone was missing from the party. He turned around, and glanced up at Kururu.

"…Should I even ask if you're going to help?"

"Kukuku!" and the yellow scientist remained behind his camcorder.

"…I thought so," sighed Giroro, and he continued down.

"Ouch! Ouuuuuch ouch ouch!" Taruru yelled out suddenly, and fell to the ground.

"Eh? Ittohei? What's the problem?" Garuru turned back to go to his wounded man. Now Taruru was on the forest floor, clutching onto one of his feet.

"I stepped on something sharp, Garuru Chui! There aren't any poisonous plants, are there?" Taruru asked in a panic.

"…Okinawa is known for having dangerous plants…" Garuru said, a bit of worry in his voice. "Where did you step on it? I don't see anything that—"

"It's burning now! I think it was something poisonous!" Taruru howled. "Owwwww!"

Garuru sighed, and lifted up Taruru, "Giroro. I have to take him back to the hotel room. There's medicine there. Will you be all right to look for Kirere with Kururu Soucho?"

Giroro answered with a nod, and Garuru lifted up Taruru over his shoulder, and began the walk back.

"…Good luck, Tororo-kun," said Taruru with a smile.

"Eh? Did you say something, Ittohei?"

"N-No, nothing, Garuru Chui… Just… Trying to make it through the pain, Sir," Taruru answered with another feigned wince.

"I think I hear traffic," Kirere called out to him, and Tororo grunted, and took a seat on the jungle ground. "Eh? What's wrong, Tororo-kun?"

"How can you stand walking this far?!" Tororo puffed.

"…I dunno. I guess learning to keep up with everyone," she answered, and took a seat across from him on a smooth rock. "It happens when you're the smallest."

"I can't believe I got talked into this…" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "I'm going to kill that blue idiot when I get back, if it's the last thing I do…"

"Haha! Remember last time this happened to us?" Kirere laughed. "At least it's not snowing, now!"

The smile on her face was quick to vanish as a clap of thunder boomed through the jungle.

"Eh? Come on, Tororo-kun, we've got to find a place to get away from that!"

"It's all woods, there isn't anything!" he grumbled, stood, and tripped over the rock Kirere had been sitting on. He didn't fall, however. Kirere grabbed him by the shoulders, and he quickly hopped away from her, much to the girl's shock.

"Here," she held out her hand to him and smiled. "It'll be all right, I promise."

"…This is just like those stories with the prince saving the princess, but she's like the prince…" he grumbled, taking a step forward and grabbing onto her hand.

"Oh? Did you say something, Tororo-kun?"

"I said it's getting dark. We need to hurry this up," he answered sharply.

"Right," she nodded. "Here…" she took a step back, and placed an arm over his shoulders. "It might be easier for you if we're walking side-by-side…."

"You…. You really have no respect for anyone's personal space, do you?" he mumbled, turning his head away from her.

She only gave a laugh, and they continued to walk amid the booming thunder. The dense forest floor was becoming more and more firm beneath their feet, and it soon turned to stone.

"Look!" Kirere gasped in awe.

"I would, but that's part of our problem, remember?" he reminded her with a cranky snap.

"It looks like an old temple…" she mumbled, stepping up onto the wooden porch, the old wood creaking beneath her. "…Doesn't look like anyone's been here for a while…."

"…This place is giving me the creeps…" Tororo grumbled. "It feels like it's gotten colder all of a sudden…"

There came another loud roar of thunder, and both tadpoles jumped, and took this as a sign to hurry inside.

Inside of the temple, there was a faint light, provided by what little was left from the evening coming through the open windows. Kirere and Tororo could both hear the rain starting to pour down with great force outside.

"I guess it's good we got inside when we did!" Kirere laughed.

"It certainly is," said a third voice, and then there came a light out of the darkness in the wooden building.

Both Tororo and Kirere gave a scream and rushed for the door, Kirere hitting the wall by accident and Tororo knocking into her.

"Kirere!" Giroro called out. "Kirere!" he stopped and sighed, and took the opportunity to stretch. "…No scent, no noise… Nothing…."

"Kukuku… For not being very stealthy, she certainly does make an art out of getting lost," Kururu said with a laugh. Giroro, not realizing that he had company, jumped at the sound of the hacker's voice.

"I know my senses are dull if I can't even tell when you're following me. Why are you here, anyway?"

"Boredom. Pekoponian television's so dull… They don't even get satellite here, kuku!"

"Don't you have a tracking device on her? Can you use that?"

"Yes, if I had the other part," Kururu answered flatly. "…Senpai really doesn't think things through all the way, does he?"

"You're the one who forgot it!" Giroro yelled. "…This is a mess. It's getting dark now, and we don't even know if we're going the correct way…."  
He began to pace about now, looking like a confused, caged animal.

"Eh?" Kururu bent down, and lifted up the slightly red hibiscus flower. "…Looks like it was cut, kuku!"

"Giro? That's… That's the one Kirere was wearing!" Giroro's eyes went wide. "They've got to be somewhere close to here, then!"

"Not necessarily, but—NEH!" Giroro clutched onto Kururu's hand, and rushed ahead, now with newfound hope.

As they continued the search, it began to pour.

"My, my… You two certainly did have me frightened!" the old woman laughed. She sat on the floor, an oil lamp at her side, and a knife and block of wood in her hands. She tiny, stout, with small, tired-looking eyes, and her gray hair tied back. She was dressed simply, in white socks, blue pants, and a lighter blue cotton shirt. Kirere and Tororo both sat in front of her on a rolled-out bed, Kirere looking away, embarrassed, and Tororo facing the woman, his arms folded.

"Why are you being so calm about this? I heard you Pekoponians were afraid of us!" he snapped.

"Are you disappointed that I didn't scream?" she looked up from her woodworking and smiled at him. "Oh, when you get to be my age, I suppose you see so many unexplainable things, you just stop questioning it, and consider yourself lucky whenever you're able to see something extraordinary. My goodness, it's really pouring out there! I hope that this roof holds…"

"Looks like you already have a few leaks…" Kirere muttered, looking past the woman to a few of the pots laid out on the floor, taking in drops of water that leaked from the roof. "I'll fix it!" she called out, hopped up, and rushed to the other side of the room.

"I thought this place was a temple…" Tororo looked about and noted that there was indeed and altar on the far side of the room.

"Oh, it was. To some forest spirits. But… People forget about such things some times, and I happened to find this place abandoned, so… I decided I would take care of it to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, that's not as good as when I was younger."

"Don't worry, I'll patch this right up!" Kirere called out. While the two had been talking, the young girl had managed to climb up one of the beams, and was now scooting across one of the high beams just below the roof.

"H-Hey, get down from there! You'll get hurt, and then I'll get blamed for it!" he snapped, bolting up from his seat.

"You really care for her, don't you?" the old woman asked with a smile. "It's all right if you do. When my grandson was younger, he was that way about a girl… Such a sweet girl, I can't help but wonder what happened to her."

"It's none of your business if I do or not, pupupu… So stay out of it, all right?" Tororo answered with a snort.

"…I'm willing to bet you're hungry, aren't you?" Tororo's attention was on her at the mention of food. "Well, I have just the thing. It's the least I can do for your friend's helping me."

"Well, I'm never one to turn down a free meal…"

"Oh, it's not free. You can help me make it," she replied. "With glasses or not, there are still things you can help out with."

"W-What?!" Tororo balked at the thought of work. Yet, a little while later, he was helping the old woman begrudgingly prepare the simple curry, while Kirere unsteadily climbed down one of the beam posts.

"All done!" she called out happily, thoroughly soaked from the water that had poured in while she worked.

"Excellent, just in time," the old woman turned around, and handed a small bowl to the Keronian. "I hope you don't mind, I put some hot peppers in yours."

"Eh? No, that's great!" the little girl lit up happily, and just as quickly, her smile faded with confusion. "But how'd you know I liked spicy food?"

"Oh, Oba-chan knows these things," she answered with a smile, and passed Tororo his bowl of food.

The two children ate their meal with the old woman, and Kirere was the first to start yawning. The old woman gave a smile and a nod, "You two rest, now. I'll stay up a little longer. And then, tomorrow, we'll find your family."

"Sounds like a good idea, huh, Tororo-kun?" Kirere gave a long yawn and laid down on the bed again. Tororo was already passed out and snoring loudly. Kirere only giggled, then closed her own eyes, and the old woman went back to carving.

"Kirere! Kirere, are you here?!" Kirere's eyes opened wide at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Neh, Dad?" Kirere raised her head and stretched, then nudged Tororo. "Eh, Tororo-kun, it's my Dad! He found us! Oba-chan, I want you to meet my—Oba-chan?"

Kirere looked around now, and the temple looked in worse shape than it'd been in… It was dusty, and covered in both bright and pale green moss. There roof still held the patches that she'd put on it the night before… And there was no old Pekoponian woman, only an old kettle, and a few ancient bowls laid around it. Tied up neatly in the middle of the room was a small package… Kirere crept over to this, and untied it slowly… Tororo's glasses, fixed and brand new… And the wood carving the old woman had been working on before, now fully shaped. Two small figures, joined at the hands…

"Kirere!" Giroro burst in, and she was practically tackled by her father. Giroro showed signs of having been in the forest overnight. Behind him was Kururu, equally tired-looking but making no signs of moving to embrace her. "Are you all right? Did anything—"

"No, we were fine!" Kirere answered with a wide smile, and giggled. "I think there was a forest spirit watching over us!"

"Really? That's the only option left? All right," Garuru hung up the phone, and walked over to Taruru, who laid out on the bed, his foot bandaged to the knee. "…Are you positive it's still hurting?"

"Ow, yes!" Taruru answered with a nod.

"All right," Garuru nodded, and sighed. "…Looks like there's no other choice… Pururu said that if it's still aching the way it is, it could very well be poison that's already infected the foot. The best thing to do would be to prevent the spread."

"Eh? How do you do that, draw out blood?"

"Not exactly… Now where's that pocket knife…" Garuru muttered, and went back to his suitcase.

"W-What do you know, I'm all better now!" Taruru immediately hopped up and laughed cheerfully, his arms at his sides. "You're a miracle worker, Garuru Chui!"

"Eh?" Garuru turned his head, but the sound of the door opening and Giroro trudging in distracted him from Taruru's miraculous sudden healing.

"We found them," Giroro puffed. "…I think I need to rest for a bit…."

"Ojii-sama!" Kirere giggled and embraced Garuru in a lunge. Tororo followed behind, flushing and looking at the ground. He lifted his eyes, and they briefly met with Taruru's. The blue Keronian gave him a wide smile and a thumbs up, and Tororo only snorted and looked back down at the ground again.

"Kukuku!" Kururu sat out on the balcony, his laptop on his lap, and Giroro trudged out, having awoken from his nap. The sun was setting now over the sea, and even from where their hotel was, Giroro could see Kirere down on the beach with her uncle.

"What's that?" Giroro lifted up the little wooden trinket of the two Keronian figures, and Kururu gave a sideways look.

"Something a Pekoponian gave them, from what she told me. I'm not sure, whenever she speaks it's so fast… And I can't say I paid all that much attention to begin with."

"You're so cold to her," Giroro sighed and took a seat down on the balcony ground. "Giro?" he looked out, and saw Kirere pulling Garuru toward a surfboard. He could tell by her gesturing she was attempting to teach him the ropes.

"Are you going to go save him?" Kururu asked, not looking up from his laptop.

"It'd be the right thing to do," Giroro replied with a sigh, and turned away Kururu. "…You know you're a bad actor. You were just as worried about her missing as I was."

"Kukuku, what makes you so sure of that, Senpai?"

"You came to help look for her."

"Kukuku… Like I said, I was bored… And there would have been no enjoying the vacation with you worrying."

"Heh," Giroro snorted and turned away from him, and Kururu heard the door close behind him.

Kururu looked out at the sight of the beach in front of him again, with Kirere and Garuru now on the surfboard together.

"Tch."

"Do you really have to go? Can't you come back with us for a little bit?" Kirere asked hopefully.

"No, there's a lot to be done yet," Garuru answered.

"Hahaha, plus Zoruru Heicho's been alone with Pururu-san for all of this time, and she's going through one of those stages where she's feeling old, and apparently he's locked himself in his room so that—" Taruru stopped at this point. The silent look from Garuru was enough to make him stop instantly.

"I hope you can come visit us again soon! You can come by whenever you want, you don't even have to as—" Giroro put a hand over Kirere's mouth at this point, and gave a stern look to Garuru.

"Call ahead," Giroro answered firmly.

"Eh?" Kirere turned her head, and saw Kururu with the small wooden figure.

"You didn't notice it, did you? Figures, kuku!" Kururu chuckled, and lifted up one of the two figures; it became separated from the other one. Kirere's eyes lit up with surprise at this.

"It's a puzzle!?" she gasped in delight, and took both of the figures. "Here, Tororo-kun! You keep this half, all right?"

"EH?!" Giroro watched as the little boy's face turned red as Kirere placed the one half in his hand, and this clearly didn't escape Garuru, either. Taruru gave a wide, goofy grin, and Kururu only turned his back and gave a sound that was in-between a cough and a laugh.

"We'll be going," Garuru pushed Tororo along.

"Us, too," Giroro answered, pushing Kirere in the opposite direction.

"Bye!" Kirere called out to them.

"Wow! You've surpassed Sensei's expectations!" Taruru said excitedly to the stunned Tororo. "Soon maybe you'll be the teacher!"

"What are you two going on about?" Garuru asked.

"N-Nothing, Garuru Chui! Just how excited we'll be to be getting back to work is all!" Taruru answered quickly.

"How sweet, kukuku!"

"S-Shut up!" Giroro snapped.

"And that's on the airplane ride back, after Dad finished beating Papa with the seat… And here's where we went to swim with dolphins! …I didn't know that they could be kinda mean, though… Poor Dad," Kirere explained to Haruki as the mechanic continued to look through the newly-developed photos. The Shiba Inu pup lay sleeping next to Haruki on the bed, and Kirere lounged atop the puppy, who didn't seem to mind the little girl very much. There was a stuffed toy in his mouth, a gift from the little girl to the dog. He was content to sleep with it in his mouth while she laid on him.

"Looks like that was a common theme…" Haruki said with an uneasy laugh. "I'm glad you had a good time, kiddo, but I won't lie, I really missed having the help! I hope you didn't get too rusty while you were enjoying yourself!"

"I didn't—I got to fix a nice lady's roof!" Kirere said brightly. "Actually, she wasn't really a lady—She was a forest spirit! And Tororo-kun got to meet her, too!"

"Really? You don't see a lot of those anymore, you two must have been really lucky, or she must have really liked you guys!" Haruki answered, continuing to look through the photos. "I used to have to fix the roof for my Oba-san during the summers… It rained so bad in the country, I was either up there, or we didn't eat, because we used all of the pots and pans to catch the rain…."

"She made these, too. There's another one, I gave it to Tororo-kun," Kirere lifted up the small wooden statue and showed it to Haruki. The mechanic took it and studied it a bit, speechless at first.

"…You know, I don't think that that was a forest spirit you saw… I think it was something even better," he smiled, and passed it back to her. "…Eh? Hey, it's getting dark out, don't you have to—"

"Oh! Right! I've still got to show them to Romama-kun, and then I have to e-mail some to my friends on Keron, I promised them I would!" she hopped off of the bed and hurried out.

"Do you need me to go with you—No? I guess not, huh, boy?" Haruki patted Rocky on head, then stood, and then reached beneath his bed, pulling out an old cardboard box. He set it on the bed, then opened it… A few photo albums, and more of the same wooden figurines, in the shapes of different spirits and animals. Haruki opened up one of the photo albums, and there was the same old woman who had helped Kirere and Tororo, sitting on the porch of an old home, carving away at a block of wood, while a younger Haruki sat on the porch next to her, hugging on to one of her arms.

"Yeah, she gets into trouble even when she's having fun, huh, Oba-chan? Hehe, well, I'm glad you're there watching her."

The dog whined and pawed at Haruki, and the mechanic rolled his eyes and sighed, "I'm not taking you on vacation, and you're wrong if you think you're getting another treat out of me tongiht."

The dog whined again, and Haruki stood, grumbled, and walked over to his kitchen, "Fine, but that's it!" The dog barked in response, and Haruki only sighed and nodded, "I'm hurrying I'm hurrying…"

Kirere studied the wood-carved trinket once more, then placed it back on her shelf. The Kururuko outfit stood in a corner of the room, the head slumped down and the eyes wide open, looking at the floor. There was a stack of photographs on her desk, all of the trip. She went through them all, finally settling on one of her, her fathers, her uncle, and Taruru, with Tororo sneaking up in the corner of it. She stood back up and placed this beside the wooden figurine, and took a step back, nodding proudly at her work.

"And maybe next vacation, Oba-chan will be there again, too," she said hopefully to her


	55. Porara: A Dangerous Bounty Hunter! Pt1

Well, it took a little while, but I finished it up! :) Next chapter's here now... Please enjoy ^_^

Episode 27  
Porara: Dangerous Bounty Hunter of the Universe!  
Part 1

"The planet Lapon… Barren wasteland of the universe… When one sun sets, another's already rising… The only thing that grows here is hatred, and love is but a luxury. A land that I call—"

"Porara!"

"A land that I call—"

"Porara?! Are you in your room?"

"A land—" the sound of footsteps up the stairs. Porara's shoulders slumped, and he switched off the recorder, then pushed it back into his desk drawer. "Yes, Mother?"

"Ah, you are home!" the wooden door to the room creaked open, and in hobbled a Laponian woman, wearing a yellow gingham gown, with a collar that came up high enough to cover her face and a yellow bonnet to match. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind running to the store for Mother before you go on your little trip!"

"I… Mother, it isn't a little trip. Bounty hunting is very serious business," he grumbled, and pulled out his chair.

"I understand that. Your father always made that perfectly clear to me. But so is making sure that we've got enough supplies before the next sandstorm! It's that time of the season, you know!"

"I know, Mother…" he sighed, and picked up his hat from the coat rack in his room. This was followed by his heavy leather jacket, then gloves. As he made his way down the stairs, he heard his mother call out once more.

"Maybe when you get back there will be enough time to dust my collectibles! Then we can do crosswords together!"

Porara stopped for a moment to regain himself, then shook his head and trudged out of the house, "…She means so well…" he repeated to himself. "…I really need to look into finding my own place, but she'd be so lonely… I just couldn't do it do her."

The town of Lapon was a barren wasteland indeed. What Porara stepped out onto consisted of orange, endless sea of wind-swept sand and dunes, dotted by a town constructed of wooden buildings, all designed in a Western style. And the people of Lapon were dressed similarly to Porara, in fashion that revealed only their eyes, sometimes a long, bushy purple tail and other times a set of long ears. Porara had nearly made it to the general store when he began to feel it, a change in the weather. He pulled his hat down and grabbed on to the post of the general store, while business owners and homeowners both rushed to the doors to lock them.

Then it went through, the sand winds. Porara was lifted up off of the ground in the midst of the winds, and the Laponian held on to the post for dear life.

It eased to a slow, and then everything was calm once more, but now covered in a coat of fine orange soil. This included Porara, who shook off his hat as he wandered into the store.

"Porara!" the owner greeted him. Porara cringed, and the round owner laughed. "More errands for your Mother, I see!"

"Yes…."

"You know, most of the others from the neighborhood have moved out of their family's homes by now. It's so good you still live with her! I'm sure she appreciates it! I have her order in the back, I'll be right back!" the old shop owner hobbled out into the back room, then returned with two large brown-wrapped packages. "Ah, here we are! So how was that reunion last month?"

"Reunion?" Porara repeated, glancing up at the shop owner.

"Yes, your old class, from when you trained as a bounty hunter," he nodded. Porara remained silent, "They all had their reunion last month! Oh… Poor Porara, your invitation must have gotten lost… The mail these days! Well… This has been paid for, so you're free to go with it. But come by some time if you're looking for work! I understand the bounty hunting business has been slow these days…" he waved Porara out, but the bounty hunter only took up the packages and walked out in silence.

"…There's no way it just got lost in the mail..." he murmured. "…It's not like I liked any of them particularly, anyhow…. Now… Time for real work. None of this shop "

He dropped off the package at his home, and after three more sandstorm interruptions, he managed to make it to his ship in the back. He climbed in, and glanced at the back, at the deliveries that needed to be made. He grumbled in disgust at the very sight of these, and took off. He waved back to his mother, who waved at him from the second-story window of the home. Another sandstorm was starting as his ship flew off of the ground, and he grumbled and cursed to himself as he was tossed around, fighting against the wind.

Then out of Lapon's atmosphere, and away from the sandstorms and worries.

"Now… Let's see who we have here today…" he said, a bit of hope in his voice, as he switched on a small computer screen at the right of him. It flashed through new bounties, until it came up with the full list of the newest additions. Porara did a double-take at the top of the list when it finished, the most prized bounty and the largest reward. He momentarily took his hands off of the controls in shock, only to give a yelp and grab back onto them again when the ship started to descend back towards the planet.

"That… That's ten times more than the next biggest bounty!" he said, his eyes wide. "…If I could get that one, all of my problems would be solved… But someone like that, how would you even begin to—Pekopon? Well, I know Pekopon fairly well… Destroyer of planets, highly dangerous, use extreme caution… An Angol!"

He paused for a moment. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be… He'd remembered seeing an Angol before….

A smile grew beneath the heavy jacket that covered his face, and Porara the bounty hunter gave a rare laugh, "Looks like I won't need to take deliveries in secret for much longer, Mother. Thank you, Angol Mois!" He gave a loud cheer, then, realizing the loss of composure, he cleared his throat, and set his destination towards Pekopon.

Mois gave a sneeze, then sniffed.

"You're not getting sick, are you, Mois-chan?" Fuyuki asked, and Mois only shook her head.

"I don't think so," she answered.

"They say that when you sneeze, it could mean you're being talked about!"

"Really? Maybe it's Ojiisama who's doing the talking! Could you say, keeping in both mind and heart?"

"Ugh, where is that Stupid Frog, anyway? I haven't seen him at all today…" Natsumi took another bite of her breakfast and sighed, her shoulders relaxing. "Although it is nice having peace and quiet for a change…."

There was a loud bang, and all stopped their eating suddenly, and bolted up in their seats.

"…Looks like I spoke too soon for my own good…" Natsumi sighed and stood up from her chair. She cracked her knuckles, and both Fuyuki and Mois gave nervous chuckles.

Keroro, Tamama, Kururu, and Giroro were in the back yard, Keroro standing behind a large, laser-shaped device pointed upward toward the sky.

"Gero gero ge~!" Keroro chortled proudly, his hands at his sides. "It looks as though all the years of failure have finally proven themselves to not be in vain!"

"Ku ku… Depends on who you're asking…" Kururu chuckled.

"It seems like a low move, doing this without Dororo here to put up any fight…" Giroro grumbled.

"Ah, I must have forgotten about him…" Keroro said, but couldn't hide his grin.

"Don't give me that! You knew he'd be away for the month and you're taking advantage of it!" Giroro barked back.

"I hope he brings home some candy from Brazil again! Brigadeiro… Bejinho… Cajuzinho… Mm…" Tamama drooled at the very thought of the sweet candies.

"Ah, Tamama Nitohei, I wasn't aware you were immersing yourself in more Pekoponian culture!" Keroro said cheerfully.

"I'm not," Tamama answered, and blinked. "All I know is the names of the candies…"

"Of course," Giroro sighed. "…Come on, let's finish this…"

"Not so fast," Giroro felt a large hand grip onto his head, and another hand gripped onto the top of Keroro's head. "What do you stupid frogs think you're up to?"

"Gero? A phone call from Dororo Heicho?" Keroro pulled out his cell phone, but was quickly drawn back to Natsumi as she brought him close to her, and glared at him.

"What is that?" she asked roughly, turning both back to the large laser.

"Gero! It's, well… It… It's the latest technology in base defense, Natsumi-dono!"

"What does it do, exactly?"

"We'd tell you, but Kii-chi said she wouldn't help build it if we used it on Natchi!"

"She never lets us have any fun anymore, kukuku!"

"What was that?!" Natsumi barked at a shaking Keroro.

"W-Well, hold on a moment, Natsumi-dono, I can explain everything if you just-!"

"Ojiisama, Fujuju Soucho-san is on the phone! He said everyone else's phones went right to voice mail, so—OH!" Mois bumped into Natsumi as she rushed out, which sent both Keroro and Giroro flying out of Natsumi's hands and into the air. Giroro fell directly against the fence wall, while Keroro fell onto the levels on the side of the laser. It shot out a series of red beams into the air, and Keroro immediately scrambled to shut it off, directing his attention to randomly pressing any buttons and pulling any levers nearby. Eventually, it did shut off, but from overheating. The machine gave a small noise, like a small internal explosion, and black smoke poured from it.

"….Kiichi's not going to be happy that she's going to have to repair this again…" Tamama said plainly as Giroro stumbled away from his imprint on the wall, clutching his nose.

Keroro gave a sigh of relief and leaned against the now-broken machine. "…At least nothing was hit…. I suppose this is a sign to move on to our next no-fail invasion plan."

"Eh?" Giroro turned his head at the oncoming noise, and his eyes widened. It looked almost like a meteor falling, but headed directly for the house. "Everyone, get down!" Giroro called out, tackling a surprised Natsumi to the floor and bracing himself.

"Gunso-san, watch out!" Tamama shouted as the meteor came in full view of everyone now.

"Gero!? Mois-dono!?" Keroro gasped as he saw Mois changed into her true Angol form.

"I'll stop this, Ojiisama!" Mois called out, and flew away from the group and towards the fiery ball. She zoomed toward it, stopping short as she noticed it wasn't a meteor at all, but a small ship, with its front half wearing a deep gash. And passed out inside was an alien, slumped over and oblivious to the emergency beeping and flashing red lights coming from inside the cabin.

Mois quickly cracked through the glass, pulled out the fainted alien, slung it over her shoulder, and with one blow of her Lucifer Spear, disintegrated the once large ship into little more than dust.

She then turned her attention back to the alien, and flew back down to the platoon, landing gently on the ground.

"Giro?! Porara?" Giroro couldn't hide his surprise at seeing Mois come back with the bounty hunter in her arms. "What's he doing here?"

Natsumi sat up, shakily took the phone Mois had dropped, and spoke, "Fujuju, Stupid Frog will call you back."

Porara squinted as he woke up, thinking at first, by the intense lights he was underneath, that he was back on Lapon. But as his vision focused, he could see that there were only white hospital lights. He looked to his left, and his right, and then weakly raised his arm, noting he was hooked up to an IV, as well as a few other machines taking his vital signs. He studied his hand a few moments more, and then glanced up and noticed both his heavy jacket and hat were in a chair across the room.

There was a sink and a mirror across from his bed, and Porara laid eyes on himself and immediately flushed. His fox-like face and large ears were totally visible.

He did the natural thing that any cool-headed, serious bounty hunter would do, and gave a loud scream.

"Ohhh, Porara-chan is awake!" Keroro chirped happily, walking in dressed in a doctor's coat, with Mois not far behind in with a clipboard and pink uniform.

"Eh!? The Angol?!" Porara raised his head immediately at the sight of Mois. He lowered his voice and looked away from them, "…This is better than I thought… I can play captor to them and get closer to her…."

"Gero, Porara-chan?" Keroro asked worriedly. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I feel perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about, Keronian!" Porara answered, smiling and baring his white teeth. Keroro stifled a chuckle, and Porara's smile fell. "What is it?"

"Well, Ojiisama and everyone always pictured Porara-san as looking like a tough guy, when it's in fact the opposite!" Mois answered. "Could you say, totally adorable?"

"I'm not adorable! I'm a professional bounty hunter! There's nothing adorable about that!" Porara barked.

"Such a cute fluffy tail," Keroro giggled, and Porara growled at him. Keroro yelped and took a step back, and scurried out of the room.

"Porara-san is still running a fever, it seems," Mois leaned in and felt his forehead, and Porara jerked away from her automatically.

"I'm perfectly fine! It's warm on Lapon, so it's no wonder I'm warm! Now lead me back to my ship, and I'll be off," he slid out of the bed, and gripped onto the IV pole. He read Mois's face, and it was a face of worry. "….What happened to my ship…?"

"You WHAT?!" it was hard to take Porara seriously, Keroro had thought at first, but now he found the Laponian lunging toward him not only serious, but terrifying.

"GEROOOOO!" Keroro ran behind Mois as Tamama and Giroro gripped onto Porara to hold him back. "D-D-Don't worry, Porara-chan! We have an on-site mechanic! We'll get you a ship that was even better than the one you had! There she is now! Kirere-chan~!" Keroro called out in a sing-song voice as the little pink girl passed them on the way to her room. She looked back at Keroro once with a look that could have shot daggers, and then disappeared into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"She must have found out what happened to the laser…" Tamama muttered.

"…Well, she's going to be there for the rest of the night now," Giroro sighed.

"There's no way I can be that lucky, kukuku!" Kururu said from his chair.

"I… W-We'll talk with Kirere-chan! Until then, Porara-chan, allow Mois-dono to show you the sights of Pekopon!" Keroro stuttered.

"Why would I want to get a tour of this hellho—Well," Porara looked at Mois, and relaxed a bit. "Then again… It has been a while since I've been on any vacation. All right, Keronian, I accept your offer."

"I'll come, too!" Tamama called out cheerfully.

"No!" Porara snapped. "Just myself and the Angol will go. Come on, Angol."

"…Kuku, oh-la-la," Kururu chuckled after Mois and Porara had left the base.

"Here, they might not be anything you're used to, but they're what could fit you... I found it in Fuyuki's closet, they were his when he was little," Natsumi handed Porara a set of folded clothes, and the Laponian, who up until now had been dressed in a bathrobe, nodded and took these. "Your clothes should be done drying soon."

"Porara-san is going to stay with us until he gets a new ship!" Mois exclaimed.

"…Great. Another alien around here…" Natsumi sighed, and Porara went back and changed in the bathroom, emerging a few moments later in the pair of jeans a bit too short for him and the long-sleeved white shirt a little too long for him.

Natsumi snorted at the sight of the Laponian studying the long sleeves, and couldn't help but give a giggle.

"Come on, Angol," Porara sighed, tugging on the collar of the shirt and exiting with Mois at his side.

"Tama? Kiichi? I thought you were mad at us!" Tamama gasped in surprise as the little girl walked out, a small smile on her face. Beside her was a drained-looking Keroro, who walked past her and rubbed his eyes.

"She may be adorable, but underneath that, Kirere-chan can run quite a hard bargain," Keroro muttered.

"Kuku, we've been practicing that!" Kururu chuckled.

"What exactly am I paying you to teach her?!" Giroro barked.

"Kirere-chan, do you think you could take one of the old ships and maybe make a new one for Porara-chan?"

"Sure!" Kirere nodded and skipped away towards the old ships.

"…Keroro….?"

"Yes, Giroro Goucho?"

"…What exactly did you promise my daughter?"

"Oh, just tickets to some movie coming out next week," Keroro answered flippantly, and went to walk past Giroro, only to be gripped by the arm by the red soldier.

"Which movie, exactly?" Giroro inquired.

"Oh, some one about vampires or something or other. She seemed very excited when I promised to get her tickets to it!"

"…You fool. They've been sold out for months," Giroro hissed quietly, and tightening his grip.

"W-What? Kururu Soucho, is that true?"

"Kuku! He's had a gun to my head while I've looked," Kururu chuckled.

"…I've put myself in even more trouble now, haven't I?" Keroro said with an uncomfortable laugh. "Oh, well, Giroro Goucho can make everything good again! He's good at things like that!"

"I wouldn't dare even begin to tell her. But, Keroro, be warned… If this makes her cry, your body will never be found," Giroro said sternly, and Keroro only yelped, and backed away as Giroro let go of his grip.

"Where are we, exactly?" Porara's eyes darted about nervously as he looked around at the other aliens looking back at him and Mois.

"Alien Alley. It's one place where Porara-san can walk around without a fear of being spotted. Could you say, a place among friends?"

"There are so many witnesses, though…" Porara grumbled.

"Hm?"

"People. There are so many people," Porara replied quickly. "What's this now? Some sort of carnival?"

"A festival!" Mois exclaimed, clapping her hands together happily.

"Even more witness-Er, people here…." Porara grumbled and folded his arms, and walked beside Mois down the rows of games.

"Oh? Dororo-san again?" Mois looked at the name coming up on her cell phone, and answered. "Hello? Dororo-san! I—You're breaking up, I'm so sorry! Could you say, just awful reception? Hello? Hello? …He must have hung up!"

"Figures," Porara grumbled, and turned his head toward one booth in particular. "Guns?"

"Just with pellets. I'd try it, but the sound those guns make is always too loud!" Mois laughed, a bit embarrassed.

"…Well, she doesn't seem like a great destroyer, or much of a threat…" Porara mumbled as he approached the booth.

"You want to give it a shot, Kid?" asked the old, tired-looking yellow alien in the corner of the booth.

Porara looked back at Mois, and then to the vendor once more, "…I don't see why not…"

A few shots perfect shots at the target later, a puzzled Porara was handed a small stuffed toy by the slightly-shaken vendor.

"I have no use for this… Here, Angol," Porara sighed, handing the stuffed kitten to Mois.

"Really!? Thank you, Porara-san!" Mois gasped happily, clutching onto it.

"Mois-san!" she shot her head up at the sound of her name, and found she was being waved over by Chandi, who was working a booth with Mora. "Over here!"

"Oh? Chandi-san!" Mois rushed over, and Porara wasn't far behind her—There was no way he was going to let go of the bounty…  
Chandi and Mora were together, dressed in traditional Indian dress, as opposed to many around them, who opted for traditional summertime Japanese outfits. There were small bags lining the table, and Mora was busying herself away, selling the small bags.

"Mora thought it'd be good business to sell candy and put cards for her shop in the bags…" Chandi said, a bit embarrassed. "...Sort of boring, really..."

"Oh, it's Kero-chan's friend and… It seems she brought a friend, too!" Mora finished off with a giggle, looking at Porara. The Laponian only snorted and averted his eyes. "Take two bags, my treat!"

"Wow, really?!" Mois happily took these, and Mora gave a small, sad smile as she watched the Angol pass Porara a bag.

"It's… Wonderful seeing people having such a good time together I… I both you have a great time," Mora said quietly, and went back to work.

"…She's still not over Rokiki," Chandi answered. "I've got to get back to work. You have fun on your—Date."

"Date?" Porara choked, and nearly dropped the bag.

"We will!" answered the oblivious Mois, and she continued walking, Porara nearly losing her in the crowd.

When he did find her, he was panting from fighting against the crowd, and he had to stop to catch his breath, "How… How do you not run out of energy?"

But she was watching a performance, fixated on the dancers. Porara sighed and took a seat on the ground, "…How are you supposed to be one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy? It must have been a mistake."

"Hrm?" Mois took a seat next to him, and put away the pouch of candy.  
"You're not eating that now?"

"No, I'm going to save it for Ojiisama," Mois answered brightly. "What about you, Porara-san?"

"For my mother. She likes sweets. More than I do," he answered.

"Do you think she's worried about you right now? Being so far away?"

"…She always worries. It's just how Mother is," Porara answered, his eyes falling. "My father was a bounty hunter, too. She was always worried when he'd go off, and she wasn't happy when I followed in his footsteps… But I can't do anything else, and—Why am I even telling you this?! This is idiotic."

"No it's not," Mois answered, and Porara was surprised by the sympathetic eyes that faced him. It took him aback. "I follow my family's business, too! Could you say, birds of a feather?"

"I'm sure you're much more successful at your job… I've been having to take odd-jobs because bounty hunting's gotten so bad. Mother doesn't even have a clue about it…"

"You really seem to care about her. I get it! Porara-san's really nice beneath it all!" Mois realized, and Porara only gave a mumble.

"…I think you're the first person I talked about this with that hasn't ended up laughing at me after this long," Porara sighed. As he sat beside Mois, he also grew more and more beside himself. She gave a laugh, and clapped along with everyone else as the dance number ended. He sighed and placed a hand over his eyes.

"Porara-san, are you starting to feel bad again?"

"No, just a headache…" he answered. "I… Mois-chan—"

Porara's voice was interrupted by a shot, followed by a series of screams in the crowd. He bolted up and stood in front of Mois, his eyes wide. When the crowd had cleared, there was another Laponian standing in front of them, dressed in a long gray coat and brown hat.

"Porara!" it hissed from beneath the coat. "You're not going to cheat me out of this bounty! And if you think you are—Then you're mistaken."

"I don't know who you are, but—" at this point, Porara reached for his gun. And reached again. He thought back to his hat and coat, back at the Platoon base. "…You've got to be kidding… Mois-chan, run!"

"Porara-san, wait!" she called out, but Porara didn't hear anything of it. He grabbed her by the hand and went running through the crowd.


	56. Porara: Dangerous Bounty Hunter! Pt2

Well. This took a while to come out with. Thank goodness I'm getting back into the habit of writing a chapter ahead of myself, I missed that x.x;;

By the by, it's probably fun to note that the story about him not finding out about his class reunion is a totally true one. I'm not at liberty to discuss the details, though. Anyway, please enjoy! ^_^

Episode 27  
Porara:Dangerous Bounty Hunter of the Universe!  
Part 2

"We'll be safe in here!" Porara called out, rushing into a shop with Mois behind him, still following.

"Eh?" Romama looked up from his magazine, just in time to see the panic outside of his shop windows. And in from the panic rushed Porara and Mois, rushing into the back room for cover.

"What's… Going on out there?" Romama stood and walked over toward the window, and was almost floored by the passing bounty hunters. There were three of them, dressed similarly to Porara, in leather coats of varying shades of grays brown and hats that only just showed their eyes. There was a larger one, one of a similar height and shape of Porara, and a thin one, all with guns drawn.

"You take the left! I'll take the right!" the leader called out, pointing. "You! Keronian! We're looking for the Angol, Mois. She's with Porara, the Laponian."

"…I didn't survive political fallout in Siberia to be pushed around by a few punks…" Romama muttered.

"What did you say?!" demanded the head bounty hunter.

"…They're right this way," Romama answered, nodding towards them.

"…The Keronian's going to give us up!" Porara whispered in astonishment from the crack in the closet.

"No, Ojiisama's Ojiisama wouldn't do that. Porara-san, if you—"

One of the bounty hunters' voices came from outside, "Over here?"

"That's right," Romama answered coolly.

Romama and the bounty hunters inched closer, and Porara backed further against the closet door.

"They went in there," Romama added, taking a few steps back from the eager bounty hunters and laying a hand over the wooden railing against the wall of the dance studio.

The leader went to examine the closet, and heard the crack of the piece of the railing Romama had broken off all too soon. The Keronian hit the two lackeys against the back of the head first, and finally the leader, knocking them all on the ground in a pile.

"Hurry!" Romama whispered, opening the door and ushering Porara and Mois out.

"What are your plans for them?" Porara asked.

"It's better I don't say," Romama answered. "Now go!"

"Right!" Porara nodded, and hurried Mois along, away from the scene.

"Porara-san, where exactly are we going? Could you say, totally confused?"  
Porara had stopped them in what was now an abandoned karaoke bar, and crouched down behind the front counter, Mois beside him, "We're going to attempt to contact your home base. They should have reinforcements, Mois-chan…. Angol," Porara quickly shook his head and corrected himself. "If only there was a way to contact them! Eh?" he turned his head, and saw Mois holding out a cell phone. "….That'd probably work…."

She began to dial, Porara still looking abut anxiously for any signs of the opposing hunters. He jumped as Mois fell over against him, slumped over, and shot his head up to the laughter that followed.

"An Angol stone," explained the bounty hunter, holding up the glowing green stone, "It totally immobilizes Angols… If you were half the bounty hunter you like the think you are, you'd know about these sorts of things, Porara!" laughed the leader, while the other two worked on lifting up Porara and Mois.

"What should we do with him?" asking the scrawny one who had restrained Porara.

"…Throw him into the ship with her. After the police get throw with him for obstructing justice, we can send him back to his Mother. I'm sure it'll be crossword night by then."

"Crossword night is Thursday!" Porara snarled back.

"Get them in! And hurry, before the police here catch up to us! Them or that psychotic Keronian!"

'Hrm, what's that you've got there?'

'For catching criminals!' the young, purple fox-looking alien declared, while a taller, older alien, dressed in a black heavy coat and brown hat looked out from beneath the brim of his weathered hat and smiled down at his son. He took up the toy gun and nodded his approval.

'This should do just fine! Now why don't you go show this to your friends?'  
Porara's expression fell, and he took the toy gun back while looking to the ground. His father could see something amiss with the boy, and knelt down in front of him.

'I… I don't really have any,' Porara replied quietly. '…The other kids think I'm weird…'

His father tilted his hat up and sighed, 'You aren't, Porara. You're just you. And if no one wants to see that, then… Well, it's their loss for not seeing it, son.'

'…Do you think I'll be as good as you are one day, Father?'

'Oh, you want to be a bounty hunter!' his father laughed, and lifted him up into his arms. 'I think you'll be even better! Just promise that no matter what you won't worry your mother—I do that much too much.'

'All right! We can be bounty hunters together!' Porara cheered happily.

"Hrm," Porara laid his head against the bars and frowned. Across from him was another cell, this one with both the glowing green stone and Mois in it, passed out. "…Why am I dreaming at Father at a time like this?... Well, I think it's official I've hit the low point of things…." He leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes. "I suppose I'm not the great bounty hunter you were, Father. I doubt at this point I'll ever be…"

He opened them again, and saw Mois, still passed out on the floor of the dimly-lit holding area.

"….But I've still got to try…." he mumbled, and began to look around. "Now what do I have here to use…? No knife… No gun… Eh? Oh, what's this? One of Mother's bobby pins! I must've kept it in my pocket after I helped her do her hair last time!"

He looked up and blinked.

"…I really do need some more friends…." he mumbled, and began to work at the lock. After a few turns, he sighed in relief as it swung open. He started to rush out of the holding cell area, then stopped and looked over his shoulder. "….I also need to learn to stop being such a bleeding heart. But that will be another day. For now…"

"Por…. Porara-san!?" Mois muttered as she came to, Porara looking down at her. "What… What's going on?"

"Shh! Quiet, Angol. We're going to make an escape. I just don't know how…" he muttered, looking about the empty cells. "Do you feel all right? I tried to move that blasted stone as far away as I could..."

"Mm, I'm all right. Well, Porara-san, we could always—"

Both heads turned as the steel door opened, and the two lackeys of the head Laponian bounty hunter stepped through. Surprised glances were shared between the four for a moment.

"Quick, Mois-chan, we—" Porara went to grab Mois's hand once more, but stopped. She'd transformed out of her disguise, and into her true form.  
"I think I've got this, Porara-san. Could you say, totally under control?" Mois smiled cheerfully.

The head bounty hunter shrugged what they thought were screams from the door, and went back to the computer, "…This bounty should pay for an entire fleet of ships… And getting Porara the Mama's boy out of the way should earn me a victory celebration."

"There's absolutely no shame in being close to your family," they heard, and jumped at the feel of the cold laser against their cheek suddenly. They looked to the left, and there was Porara, grinning. And to the left was Mois, smiling sweetly as usual.

"P-Porara! And the Angol? H-How did you?..."

"Could you say, that's a secret?" Mois giggled. Porara glanced up at her and flushed, but quickly turned his attention back to his adversary.  
The leader was put in the cell across from the two fainted companion, and Porara set the destination for home, while Mois stood behind him, watching him fly.

"….We make a good team, Angol," Porara said, breaking the silence.

"Mm, but I can't help but wonder why Porara-san's friends were here for me to begin with!"

Porara only gulped, and looked ahead, glancing over toward Mois once and suddenly becoming very uncomfortable at the large, brown eyes. "It…. It does seem to be quite a mystery, doesn't it?"

"At least Porara-san was there to help!" Mois said happily. "Could you say, a bit of a hero?"

"He-Hero? I didn't do anything…" Porara answered, clearing his throat. "You… You should really take a seat, Angol. We'll be home soon."

"Oh! Right!" Mois nodded and rushed to her seat, and strapped herself in.  
And there was a crowd assembled at the Alien Alley when they returned, in front of them officer Ponyon and the Keroro Platoon, along with Romama at their side, still holding onto the wooden railing for security.

"...If it's those bounty hunters, I will go in for the kill this time. They won't escape again," Romama said warningly.

"...Why can't your nephew be more like you, I wonder?" Giroro sighed.

"Mois-dono!" Keroro called out, rushing for her as soon as she exited the ship.

"Ojiisama!" Mois rushed toward her uncle.

Tamama only huffed and ground his teeth, while Kirere worked to keep her adopted brother away from them.

"Let me at them!" he growled.

"N-No, don't do something you'll regret!" Kirere yelped.

"The people who destroyed your establishment are inside, Officer," Porara nodded to Ponyon, and she replied to him, but Porara didn't answer this. He was paying more attention to Mois and Keroro.

"…Porara-san, ponyon? Are you all right, ponyon?"

"Eh!? Yes…" Porara turned his attention back to the officer. "I'm just… Going to be going now…"

"Thank you for your hard work, ponyon!" the officer saluted him, much to Porara's shock, and he hesitantly returned it.

Porara adjusted the hat in the mirror and nodded; another night after the crash, and he was back to his old self. He lifted up an envelope along the way, and walked out to his new ship, a leftover ship from an earlier Keroro Platoon venture that Kirere had refurbished. The pink Keronian stood leaning against it, and wiped her forehead. Giroro, Tamama, and Keroro had gathered outside of the ship, Keroro looking about anxiously.

"Gero… I didn't imagine her having it done so quickly… She must really be serious about this movie..." Keroro mumbled as he looked out at the ship. Giroro stood next to him, and clasped a hand around the back of Keroro's neck. "

"You have your end of the bargain, right?" he asked, tightening his grip.

"O-Oh course! I…."

"Keronian," Porara called out to him, and Keroro turned around. "…The Angol told me of your plight. Accept this as my repayment."  
Tamama tilted his head. "But Gunso-san's the one who—" Giroro quickly placed a hand over Tamama's mouth.

"Gero?" Keroro opened the envelope, and his eyes went wide. "You… You got them! Kirere-chan~!"

"Kire?" the little girl took the envelope, looked inside, and gave a long, excited scream that made the men in the room cringe. She then ran off happily as Keroro shook his head, trying to dismiss the ringing.

"That… Never gets easier…"

"Try having my hearing and dealing with that…" Giroro grumbled.

"Thank you, Porara-san!" Keroro went to embrace him, but the Laponian held out an arm to him to keep distance.

"Know that after this, I consider myself your rival," Porara declared, and he walked away from a puzzled Keroro.

"Rival in what, I wonder?" Keroro muttered.

"….I think I'm gonna like this guy…" Tamama said beneath his breath, the slightest hint of a sly smile growing across his face.

Porara left the group after this, and found himself in Kururu's lab, the yellow scientist's back turned to him in his chair.

"Kukuku! I have a feeling I know what you're here for… And it's not to give me tickets to some sub par movie, kukuku!"

"…You know then…"

"Naturally. And I suppose you want me to do something about it, because you have feelings for her."

"W-What?! I—"

Kururu spun around, the light from the computer screens reflecting onto his glasses, "I have conditions…"

"Why do I feel like I'm making a deal with the devil suddenly?"

"Kukuku! Flattery will get you nowhere…. I'll do it."

"You… You will?! …What do you need in return?"

"Oh, it won't be anything bad. I promise. We'll just call this an IUO for now. Now, if you would," Kururu waved him off, and turned back around to his screens without another word. Porara took this as a hint to leave and saw himself out. He jumped back a bit as he was greeted by Mois in the doorway.

"Oh? Kururu-san sounded like he was in a good mood. Could you say, a sudden cold, ominous feeling in the air?" Mois giggled uneasily.

"He… He really is creepy…" Porara mumbled his shoulders slumping. "What are you doing here, Angol? Shouldn't… Shouldn't you be resting now?"  
"Mm. But I had to say goodbye to Porara-san, first!" Mois said happily, tilting her head to a side. "Here, I made this for you!" she held out a stuffed toy for him, and Porara took it, dumbstruck. He studied the small, white, and somewhat crudely-made toy, and placed it beneath his hat.

"I… No one except for Mother and Father have ever given me anything before…" he mumbled. "I'll cherish this. Thank you, Angol." he tipped his hat to her, and walked with her out to his ship.

"Ah, so nice to see a wonderful conclusion to this!" Keroro said happily, waving Porara off as he took off and doing so until he was out of sight. "Now! Back to before all of this happened! Where did I put that—Eh? Dororo! W-When did you get back….?" he gasped, noting the sudden presence of the tired-looking blue ninja.

"I had a feeling you would be up to something harmful towards the Earth while I was gone, Keroro-kun. I didn't want to think you would take advantage of the situation of my absence, but I can see I was wrong."

"O-Oh, you were gone?" Keroro asked in feigned surprise, and then his smile fell. "…That won't work today, I'm guessing?"

"I took the liberty of taking care of your environment-damaging laser," Dororo held out a small chunk of metal, and Keroro gave a gasp.

"You… You didn't! You couldn't have!"

"…You push him so far…" Giroro sighed.

"And combine that with jet lag…" Kirere added.

"And the fact that he must have been hearing non-stop vuvuzelas while he was watching the games… It's no wonder even he would be grumpy…" Tamama mumbled.

"Well, it's probably for the best. That device was too impractical for the invasion, anyway," Giroro snorted.

"Could you say, all's well that end's well?" Mois suggested. "Oh, Ojjisama! I have this for you!"

"Gero?" Keroro stopped his weeping a moment to take the bag of candy from her. "That you, Mois-dono. This will help ease the pain."

"Mois-san, we have to hurry if we're going to make it!" Kirere exclaimed, holding up the tickets.

"Right!" she ran towards the exit with Kirere.

"Tama-nii-chan!" Kirere shouted back. "There's a ticket for you, too!"  
"Coming~!"Tamama shouted out. "I only go for the candy, hehe…" he added, noting the horrified looks of both Giroro and Keroro. The young boy followed the girls out, and Giroro sighed.

"My head hurts…." Giroro mumbled, turning away from them.

"Gero… It is a bit worrisome…" Keroro sighed, and looked back to Dororo. The blue ninja had fallen asleep on the floor. "Jet lag isn't kind to him, it seems… Well, this is a place to start," he took up the small piece of metal, and whistled as he walked away from the loading dock. He stopped, and opened the pack of candy to grab a piece, and instead pulled out Mora's card. "...What exactly happened between Mois-dono and Porara-san?"

"Porara!" his mother was out on the porch when Porara walked up it, whistling. "I heard about everything! Quick, come inside! Are you all right? You didn't let anyone hurt you, did you?!"

"Mother, I… I'm perfectly fine. I'm better than I have been in years!" he reassured his mother, taking her by the hands. "I brought you a small something from Pekopon—I know it's not much, but I hope you like it," he reached into one of his pockets, and pulled out a bag of candy, and she gasped happily.

"Oh, how wonderful for you to think of me! Would you care for some tea? I just put on the kettle!"

"I… Well, I actually have a few things to do, first, Mother," he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be down in a bit to visit. There's someone I would like to tell you about!"

"All right, Porara dear," she chuckled, and waved him off. She opened the pack of candy, and looked over the card that was contained inside. "A matchmaker?" she shot her head up as it dawned on her. "Met someone… And a matchmaker? How wonderful!" she clasped her hands together and rushed inside, up to Porara's room, and tried to hide her excitement as she burst into his room, surprising her son.

"Porara… Mother was thinking about renting some of the rooms out to borders… So many people come by nowadays, so many visitors… It might be a good way for me to meet new people!" she started.

"What? You never made mention of this before, Mother, but… I suppose some company would be nice."

"Yes, and with me having company… It might be a good time to spread your own wings," she said gently. "…You said you met someone, afterall."  
"I… M-Mother, I couldn't possibly. I made a promise to take care of you!"

"And I made a promise that to make sure you had the best life possible. And… I think there'll be a better chance of that happening on Pekopon, Porara," she answered, taking his hand.

"…Mother…."

Rosewell, New Mexico (two months later):

"All right! Everyone put their hands in the air, and no one will get hurt!" called out the gray alien with the laser. Four other grays rushed around the Western-style bank in the underground Alien Alley, taking jewelry, money, and electronics from the other unsuspecting aliens in the bank. "Come on! Hurry it up!"

He cringed at the sound of a gunshot, and shakily looked out at the fresh hole that was blown in the wall beside his head.

"I believe you're new to town. I hope you like it, but I think you'll like our jail even more."

"And who are you!?" snapped the gray.

"I'm the sheriff here," Porara looked up from beneath his hat. "And it's my job to protect the good people of this bank. Now I'd like it very, very much if you'd give these people back their money and anything else you stole from them…"

"Like you could do anything! There's five of us, and one of you!" snapped the crook. Another shot, the gun was shot out of his hand. Porara glared across at him.

"There's five of you, four of you are armed. It can be three in another shot, and we'll go from there, unless you wish to turn yourself in now…."  
The other aliens looked to their leader, one of them gulping nervously.

"Boy, oh, boy! That's the third one this week alone, panyo!" gasped the deputy as she stood beside Porara. She was suspiciously familiar-looking, with long green hair and yellow antennae. She was dressed in a white hat, red bandanna, blue shirt, jeans, and brown cowboy boots, and Porara only nodded as he looked over the prison cell, content at the sight of the five glaring aliens. He shut the door, and sauntered over to his desk, leaning back in his chair.  
"I can't remember when the streets have been safer, panyo!" she went back to her own desk, and Porara glanced to the side wall of his office.

"Well, I suppose I just have a muse is all, Deupty Panyo," he lifted up a calendar, and beneath it was a photo of Angol Mois's mug shot, when she had still been wanted by the law. He smiled from beneath his coat, and set the calendar back in place. "….Thank you, Mois-chan."

"Hrm? Ya say somethin', panyo?"

"N-No, nothing," he shook his head and moved some papers around. "Now, let's get back to work, Deputy!"

"Sure thing, Sheriff, panyo!"


	57. Keroro: Keroro the Dream Walker! Pt1

Anyway, here's the new chapter! :)

Episode 28  
Keroro: Keroro the Dream Walker!  
Part 1

"GAH!" Keroro bolted straight up in bed, having broken out in a cold sweat. He hadn't had dreams this awful since…

He sat up, rubbed his head, and trudged into the kitchen. "Just a dream… Thank goodness…A late-night snack might help—Gero?!"

Around the kitchen there sat a sleepy Natsumi, Fuyuki, Giroro, and Kirere, already having beaten Keroro to the idea, apparently. Fuyuki sat at the table with his head resting on it, looking exhausted.

"…School's only in a few hours… But I couldn't go back to sleep if I tried!" he moaned.

"It's only a bad dream," Giroro huffed. "It's nothing to be afraid of, and nothing to lose sleep over!"

"If they weren't so bad, you wouldn't be in here, too!" Natsumi snapped, and Giroro only grumbled.

"Kirere-chan and Natsumi-dono had awful dreams as well, I take it?" Keroro looked to the two girls, and Kirere looked down at the ground, and Natsumi huffed.

"It wasn't anything too bad," she sat back and folded her arms. "It's not real, anyway! Just some creepy bunch of nothing!"

"And yet Natsumi-dono is here, too, gero gero ge…."

"Shut up, Stupid Frog!" Natsumi snapped, and rested her chin on her hand. "…It really was strange, though… Some sort of dark, moving shadow…"

"Eh?! Nee-chan, that—That sounds like my dream!" Fuyuki jerked his head up and gasped.

"Mine, too!" Kirere exclaimed, wide-eyed, and then looked to Giroro. "What about you, Dad?"

"Giro? Well… Yes, actually…" Giroro replied uncomfortably.

"We all had the same dream?" Natsumi muttered, confused, and then frowned. "Don't tell me it's because I've been spending too much time with you stupid frogs! Ehehe… Not you, Kirere-chan," Natsumi quickly corrected herself, seeing the stunned expression on the little girl's face. "Just everyone else."

"Okay!" Kirere giggled.

"N-Natsumi, that's so cold!" Giroro exclaimed.

"Kukuku…. I take it you're all out here for the same reason?" Kururu gave his signature laugh as he shuffled out, coffee mug in hand.

"Kururu Soucho had a nightmare, too?" Fuyuki asked, astonished.

"He's probably behind it, more than likely," Giroro snorted.

"Hardly. Kuku, why would I construct something that would make me lose sleep purposefully?" he glanced to Kirere, and then sipped his coffee. "All right, I can see where that's not exactly a valid point, kuku!"

"Were there details of anyone else's dreams?" Fuyuki asked, looking about.

"Slugs. Lots and lots of slugs," Natsumi shuddered. "It was more like a nightmare!"

Eyes shifted on Giroro now, and the Corporal jumped, flushing at the sudden interest in him, "I-I'd rather not talk about it…."

"Me, either," Kirere muttered, her face reddening.

"Kuku! Looks like you two have something to hide!"Kururu giggled.

"In mine, Gunso had to go back to Keron with everyone," Fuyuki explained. "It really was a nightmare!"

"I wish I'd had your dream, Fuyuki…. What about yours, Stupid Frog?" Natsumi eyed Keroro, and the green alien chuckled uncomfortably and scratched the back of his head.

"W-Well, I… I had to leave Fuyuki-dono and Natsumi-dono and return to Keron without completing the invasion!"

"…There's no way it was anything that noble. It was probably about them stopping the production of Gunpla."

"Gero…."

"Well, this won't do…" Kururu turned, and swirled the drink in his mug around a bit.

"OJIISAMA!" Mois bounded in, tearful, and tackled the unsuspecting alien, who was crushed beneath the Angol. "Ojiisama's all right! I just had the worst dream!" she sat up, clutching onto the near-unconscious Keroro.

"We…. Really need to do something about this…" Keroro said with a cough.

"So neither of you had a weird dream?" Fuyuki asked, and both Momoka and Chandi shook their heads.

"Maybe it's an artifact!" Chandi exclaimed excitedly, her eyes going wide. She sat up, her hands on the desk, and smiled, almost hopeful for this. "Did you bring home anything weird recently?!"

"Not lately, no… Not since Mama made me throw out that monkey's paw… Maybe a demon?" Fuyuki asked thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, Fuyuki-kun—The Nishizawa Corporation will help with any funding necessary to find out what's wrong, whatever it might be! You won't lose anymore sleep, I promise!" Momoka reassured him, and Fuyuki gave an understanding laugh.

"That's all right, Nishizawa-san. Gunso reassured me this morning that he's got everything under control!"

The worried looks Momoka and Chandi exchanged puzzled Fuyuki.

"We… Better come over, just to be safe," Chandi suggested, while Momoka only gave a mildly unsettled giggle.

"Kururu Soucho! Pull the first switch!" Keroro stood in front of the large, dome-shaped machine, laughing maniacally.

"…He's really getting into this, isn't he?" Tamama asked flatly taking another bite of his cookie and looking onward with Kirere, Dororo, and Giroro.

"I don't really like to encourage him, but at least he's being constructive…" Giroro sighed, folding his arms.

"Kururu Soucho! The second switch!"

"Aye-aye, sir. Kuuuuukuku!"

"What's he doing, anyway?" Kirere tilted her head to one side and frowned. "It doesn't look like any machine I've seen before…."

"Gentlemen—And Kirere-chan—May I present to you the Dream Machine!" Keroro exclaimed, hopping away from the creation and towards the small audience.

"Your hat, Sir—Kukuku!" Kururu chuckled, passing Keroro a helmet riddled with wires and plugs. Keroro took it happily and held onto it protectively.  
"Kururu Soucho has reassured me that this is 100% fool-proof!" Keroro exclaimed happily.

"…You're beyond a fool," Giroro deadpanned, and Keroro's smile fell.

"…You always sound like you're moments away from a coup, Giroro Goucho. Anyway! The Dream Machine will allow for the wearer of this helmet to enter the dreams of all within a certain radius, even while the others in the area are awake!"

"I can be metaphysical when there's a need for it, kuku!" Kururu giggled, placing another helmet on his head.

"D-Don't tell me he's going into my mind!" Giroro yelped.

"Kuku! This is to protect me from you getting into my dreams… The mind's a very private thing, you know, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled as he placed the helmet on.

"No need to worry, Giroro Goucho, I'll be the one going in!" Keroro reassured him.

"That… That's just as bad!" Giroro balked.

"It's just dreams, Giroro Goucho! It's not like anything can happen in them!" Keroro laughed the Corporal's fears off lightly.

"Actually there's a slight chance everyone's dreams could merge with reality and destroy Pekopon in the process," Kururu answered coolly.  
Everyone snapped their attention to the yellow alien, "WHAT?!"

"POCHITO!"

"Eh?" the first thing Keroro felt around him was the cool air rushing past his face. He slowly opened his eyes against the cool, fresh wind, and then gave a scream. He was plummeting right towards the ground. He kept the scream, flapping his wings in futility, but nothing seemed to happen. The green forested ground was becoming increasingly closer.

"Gunso-san! Hang on!" Keroro fell into a patch of white after hearing this, and at first thought it to be snow… But as he looked up, he saw he was moving. He sat on the edge of the cloud, and glanced up at his savior.

"Ta… Tamama Nitohei!" Keroro yelped in surprise. The black Keronian boy stood on the cloud, as if he were riding a surfboard. He was dressed in an orange and blue fighting gi, and clutching on to a large staff.

"Looks like you made it into my dream, first!" Tamama cried happily.

"You… This is your dream?" Keroro glanced over the side of the cool cloud, and down at the forest again. Now that he looked closer…. Candy, all of it. Gumdrop trees, what looked like an orange soda river, lollipop flowers… Even the great white mountain, Keroro realized, was another treat covered in white frosting and coconut shavings. "…It even has a cherry on top… Gero…."

"We're going down, Gunso-san!" Tamama called out to him.

"Eh?! But why?!"

"To save those villagers, like always!" Tamama replied. And indeed, the forest did clear out to a small village… All made out of gingerbread.

"…What a fantastic-smelling village!" Keroro remarked as they lowered down, and Tamama hopped off and rushed to the center of the village. Tamama kept running, though, and Keroro after him, stopping and looking about at the scenery every now and again, distracted by detail of the village, "…He really does dream in quite a bit of detail, doesn't he?" Keroro remarked, hurrying on again to the center of the village. He found he wasn't alone now, with of all things, gummy bear villagers rushing around him for safety.

And on opposite sides of a soda fountain, and in front of Tamama… Another Tamama. This one looked much more angry, though, dressed in a teal fighting gi. This one's hands were clenched, and he was shouting at Tamama.

"You're too weak!" he snapped. "You always forget you need me, and you're useless without me! Just a sweet-eating chump!"

"That's not true!" the other Tamama shouted, and posed a heroic stance. "Now take this! TAMAMA IMPACT!"

The blast sent Keroro flying, and a few of the gummy bear villagers somewhat melted, but they still cheered on their hero.

The teal returned with a blast, but missed the "good" Tamama, who jumped away with use of his staff and onto a rooftop. He took off a bite of one of the gingerbread shingles, and then leapt off of the buildings.

"….Tamama is quite the theatric in his dream, it seems…." Keroro muttered, watching the wire-work style fighting going on in front of him. "Now where could that disturbance be…. Gero? Say, where did all of the worshipping villagers…. GERO!" Keroro spun around, and both Tamamas turned to attention at the same time. The gummy bear villagers were forming into an overpowering wall, and began to shake from the very weight.

"Just like the nightmare last night!" both Tamamas gasped.

"N-Nightmare?!" Keroro took a step back, and the gummy bear formed monster, the numerous colors of candy coming together and shining brightly under the bright sun, giving off a stained glass effect over Keroro and the village. And in the center, a black shadow forming inside of the monster.

"Gunso-san, watch out!" both Tamamas lunged forward and pushed Keroro out of the way as the monster lunged. And Keroro was falling through the sky towards the ground once more.

"Not again!" he howled, and began to flap his arms in vain once more.

"Take my hand," came a voice, and Keroro looked to his right. Sitting there, calmly but also falling, was Kururuko.

"Oh! Kirere-chan? You're here?!"

"Kukuku! Try again," Kururu laughed.

"Ku… Kururu Soucho!?" Keroro gasped. "What… What are you doing?!"

"Falling, currently. Are you going to grab my hand or what? The ground's getting closer," Kururu chuckled, and Keroro clutched onto the hand of the robot. The wings on the back of the Kururuko costume spread, forming full-size wings, and together they flew over the earth below them.

"…Why didn't I think to do something like this?"

"Teicho doesn't have the imagination for it, it seems, kuku!"

"I feel as though I've been insulted…"

"Kuuuuukuku! I found some more useful information on our adversary, Teicho…."

"Oh really now?"

They floated gently onto the ground, and Keroro looked around a bit, walking about the topiaries…. Which, he noted, were mainly in the shape of something quite familiar, but that he couldn't place his finger on.

"…It's on the tip of my tongue…" he murmured, and tilted his head to one side. The suspiciously Fuyuki-shaped topiaries still didn't strike him as anything Fuyuki-like. "A with a cowlick, perhaps?"

He turned his head to the sound of laughing, and looked out at the lake behind the large white and gold mansion. In a rowboat were two Pekoponians, dressed in Western Victorian-style clothing… Momoka Nishizawa sitting on one side with a parasol in hand, and on the other side, Fuyuki rowing the boat, and both laughing cheerfully on the placid blue lake.

"She really does have a one-track mind, doesn't she?" Kururuko's outfit had changed to match the period, transforming into an orange Victorian style dress, and Kururu held up a hand to the face of the robot and gave a laugh. "I actually think this is a good look for me…"

"Oh, Fuyuki-kun…. Isn't it just beautiful here today?" Momoka asked with a serene smile. "Fuyuki-kun… What do you say to after this, we have a light lunch? By then, it should be time to go dancing at the ball again! And then maybe we could watch the sunrise together after that!"

"Of course, Nishizawa-san!" Fuyuki answered, giving a happy laugh and a sparkling smile.

"A-Actually, Fuyuki-kun… If you… Wanted to call me Momoka-chan, I… I wouldn't mind it!" she said with a blush.

"Eh?! Well, all right," Fuyuki leaned forward and blushed. "All right, Momok—"

"GERO!" Keroro and everyone else's calm, serene moment by the blaring of horns, followed by the sound of drums. Keroro hid behind Kururuko's skirts, but these, too, had changed….

"What's going on?!" Keroro shouted over the music.

"Eh, a bit flashy for my tastes, kuku!" Kururu chuckled, examining the orange and red sari.

"WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON HERE?!" Momoka snarled, rocking the boat in anger so she tumbled out of it and into the lake.

"W-What indeed?" Keroro wondered as he watched the Indian-dressed dancers pass by. "C-Chandi-san?!" he recognized the Indian girl amongst the dancers, and she stopped, apparently recognizing Keroro. She gave a shout to him, and Keroro's eye twitched, not having understood this.  
"C-Come again?"

"Kuku! This is to be expected… She still thinks in her native language, and since this isn't a "real" place, your communicator doesn't work as well… Kuuuukuku! Seems as though she's having a dream about a movie she saw recently."

"You're familiar with this movie, Kururu Soucho?"

"Who isn't familiar with King Khan, kuku!"

"…You're a man of many surprises and interests, indeed…"

Chandi gave another yell at Keroro, and stopped, leaving the procession still moving through. She pointed behind her, panicked, and Keroro spun around, only to come to the realization that the world behind them looked as though it were being sucked up by a black hole.

"K-Kururu Soucho! Help!" Keroro cried out, climbing up the Kururuko robot until he was clinging onto it around the neck.

"Fine, fine…." Kururu hopped up, just missing the enveloping shadow.

"Chandi-san! Momoka-dono! Fuyuki-donooooo!" Keroro cried out, outstretching his hand to them.

"Looks as though this is more serious than we thought," Kururu muttered as they floated through the air, and he looked down on the increasingly blackened land.

"I-I-I'll just wake everyone up, then! Then it'll be fine!" Keroro shouted.  
"I don't think it will be that easy, Teicho."

"Why's that?"

"This alien's a dream eater."

"A-A what?!"

"Eats life force of victims through their dreams…. It usually starts small, then gets increasingly worse. It's a parasite alien."

"Worse? How worse?"

"Well, we'll let Teicho decide that, kuku! And on top of that, the Dream Machine's malfunctioning so that everyone's dreams are combining, it seems."

"And that will stop it, right?!"

"Actually, we made a veritable buffet for the dream eater, kuku! You could say we made the situation a lot worse."

"Gunso!" a familiar voice shouted out, and Keroro, stunned, watched as Fuyuki floated by them, wearing an astronaut's uniform and riding on an almost cartoonish rocket. "You're in my dreams again, haha! This one seems a lot better!"

"F-Fuyuki-dono! You're all right?!"

"Dear, it seems like I had another outfit change, kuku!" Kururu noted, looking down and noting the orange, shiny, sci-fi looking bikini and helmet.

"Of course, Gunso!" Fuyuki replied. "Have you gotten whatever it is that was bothering everyone yet?!"

"N-Not yet, but I will!" Keroro shouted.

"All right. I'm going to go investigate another planet! I think I saw Nee-chan's dream over there!" Fuyuki pointed down to the Earth, and then the rocket took off at a breakneck speed, Fuyuki calling his goodbyes to a panicked Keroro while it did so.

"F-Fuyuki-dono, wait!" Keroro shouted out. "Watch out! Kururu Soucho, we have to hurry! Quickly, to Natsumi-dono's dream! We'll see if it's there yet!"


	58. Keroro: Keroro the Dream Walker! Pt2

Episode 28  
Keroro: Keroro the Dream Walker  
Part 2

Haha, so. Funny story. You know how there's always that old plot device in sitcoms, where that one character thinks they come up with something brilliant, but turns out they saw the idea subliminally and it was there all along? Turns out that that stuff really does indeed happen! Hence why this episode now has a different title. If you're the author of the fanfic I accidentally took the name from, know that it was not intentional and I must have REALLY liked the title to use it too. I will probably get off of my lazy rear and actually read it now. I hope if you ever happen to find out about this that we can have a good laugh about it. And many special thanks to the person who spotted this error! :) Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy!

"Fair lady! Are you there?!" asked a gentle voice sweetly. And from inside the quarters of the palace, Natsumi heard the bard call her name, and walked out onto the balcony. A beautiful, warm Venetian night. The moon was full, and her prince, Saburo, was smiling up at her.

"I thought that I might compose a song for you!" he lifted up his mandolin, and looked up to her, a loving look in his eyes.

"Oh… Saburo-Senpai…." Natsumi gasped, and clasped her hands together.  
"You would do that for me?"

"Anything, Natsumi-chan. Anything for the most beautiful girl in all of—H-Hey!"

"Natsumi-dono!" Keroro butted into Saburo, pushing him aside.

"S-Stupid Frog?!"

"And me!" Kururu exclaimed, although no one paid attention this. Another costume change had taken place with Kururu, who now wore an orange and yellow, long, elaborate dress from around the 17th century.

"Natsumi-dono, you're in a nightmare!" Keroro exclaimed.

"If I'm seeing you, it's definitely a nightmare," Natsumi snorted.

"Eh, I really need to get back to…." Saburo held up his mandolin, but Keroro only pushed him aside again, and then climbed up the wooden trellis beside the balcony, placing his hands on his knees and breathing heavily in order to catch his breath.

"Natsumi-dono…. There… There's danger! But… Natsumi-dono can help me, right?"

Natsumi plainly stared the small amphibian alien down a moment, and then lifted him up by the top of the head.

"Gero?"

"Stupid Frog…." her voice was even, menacing, "I'll tell you this once, and once only. KEEP OUT OF MY DREAMS!"

This was followed by a swift kick that sent Keroro flying in the night sky, and when he finally began to crash back down, he looked like a shooting star in the distance.

"Make a wish, Natsumi-chan!" Saburo instructed her happily, lifting up his mandolin once more.

"OOF!" Keroro fell on the ground, and rolled on his back, giving a groan. "So cruel… And I was only trying to help, too! Foolish Pekoponian… Neh?! Nothing but darkness? Don't… Don't tell me the dream eater struck here already!" he looked about in a panic, and noted, quite relieved, that there was a ray of hope—In front him a white door, marked with a "do not enter" sign and with a single light hanging over it, suspended by seemingly nothing and illuminating the door. Keroro stumbled toward it, still clutching onto his head and groaning.

"…Maybe someone has some dream aspirin I can borrow…." he knocked on the door. No answer, only muttering. Keroro knocked again, this time, with more force, and still nothing.

"Come on, open up!" Keroro yelled, and began to bang wildly. He jumped back as he heard the locks clicking open one by one, and was stunned as Dororo poked his head out, an apologetic and gentile look over his face. "D-Dororo?! This is your dream?"

"How kind of you not to forget me for once, Keroro-kun!" Dororo exclaimed cheerfully.

"I, well… R-Right. Would you mind if I come in and use the dream phone?" Keroro took a step forward, and Dororo drew the door closer.

"S-Sorry, Teicho-dono. This is a private dream," Dororo explained apologetically.

"Ah, I see. Well, if I could just for a moment—"

"Teicho-dono, an assassin must keep his mind locked and private. You have my apologies."

"Dororo, is someone there?" came a voice from inside.

"Eh? Is that… Lupapa-dono I heard?" Keroro wondered, tilting his head in order to get a closer look inside. There was the sound of a car horn and a chicken clucking from inside, and Dororo jumped.

"I have to go, Keroro-kun. I'm sorry," the ninja nodded politely, and closed the door.

"W-Wait! Dororo!" Keroro pounded upon the door, hoping for it to open again.

It was silence he was answered with.

"….Why is the only thing I'm thinking now are how my feelings are a bit hurt that his dream wasn't about some sort of trauma I gave him?" Keroro sighed, and, defeated, shuffled away from the door. "No Natsumi-dono… No Dororo… No one's going to help…." He stopped and sighed, not aware of the bright lights quickly growing in the darkness. Keroro did see a shadow growing behind him, though. For a moment, he thought it the monster again—Then he turned his head and saw that instead of a monster, it was a fast-approaching car.

"GEROOOOO!" the car quickly hit its brakes, and Keroro, who had braced himself for impact, shook before collapsing to the ground as he dared to look and make sure he was still alive, and saw the bright purple car's bumper was but a few centimeters away from his face.

"Are you okay!?" the door opened and shut, and Kirere walked out in front of the car as well, and placed an hand on Keroro's shoulder.

"Ki… Kirere-chan's the one who ended up doing me in? Somehow I'm not surprised, gero…." Keroro muttered.

"You're not dead, kuku!" Keroro and Kirere looked up; another appearance from Kururuko, another outfit change; this time the magical girl robot wore a white biker's leather pants and jacket, with orange striping and high white stilettos. "She" leaned against the car calmly, filing her orange-painted nails.

Kirere looked different, too, Keroro noticed.

"Huh. So Kirere-chan actually looks like a girl here…." he muttered, noting that the little girl indeed look a bit less on the plain side. Her outfit was similar to Kururuko's, except the striping was purple, the shoes flat, and the jacket unzipped to reveal a black shirt beneath it. "Does Giroro Goucho know Kirere-chan's wearing makeup?"

"Haha, I must have some of it still on! I just got done with my Wednesday job! I'm an actress then!" she declared as she walked back to the car.

"Wednesday?"

"Sure! I'm something different every day!" Kirere exclaimed. "Thursdays I'm a crime lord!"

"Kuku! I knew you had it in you…." Kururu chuckled.

"You mean that?!" Kirere hopped on the hood, and looked to Kururu hopefully.

"….Your eyeshadow's a little thick, kuku!" Kirere's smile fell, and she gave a little moan of disappointment.

"…Even shot down in dreams…. She may have Kururu Soucho's personality hidden away, but her Giroro Goucho luck is evident…." Keroro shook his head; he had a point to get to. "Kirere-chan! We need your help! You don't happen to be a monster slayer on one of those days, do you!?"

"No, but I do have to go—I'm giving a lecture at a college!" Kirere exclaimed. "I'm a doctor on Fridays, but they need me today!"

"This really is a fantasy, kuku!" Kururu chuckled, and stepped away from the car.

"Sorry, Ojiisan!" Kirere exclaimed, and shut the door before Keroro could get another word in, although the green alien tried. "We can hang out on Saturday! That's when I'm at my beach house!"

"…How like the young to spread themselves thin with so many ambitions, kuuuuukukuku!"

"…W-Well, at least we haven't seen that thing… Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe there's nothing to be worried about. Although Kirere-chan dreaming about being a crime boss might pose to be something of concern in the future."

"Teicho… You were saying about that monster not making an appearance?" Kururu calmly noted the orange eyes that looked out in the darkness at them, and Keroro, the brave soldier he was, remained there, paralyzed in fear, until it lunged forward, at which time Keroro took action, retreating and running blindly into the darkness.

And he was falling again, through the sky, now more frustrated than scared.

"COME ON!" he yelled, waving his fists in the air. "This again!? Well… May as well get used to this…. Kururu Soucho will probably be here in a moment or two, anyway… I wonder whose dream I'll see next?"

And then silence, and Keroro was quickly realizing that it was seeming less and less likely that Kururu was coming.

Keroro waited a few more moments in the quiet, save for the air gushing around him, and began to panic, flapping his arms as he had before, as the ground became more and more detailed.

When he did hit the hill, much to his surprise, he bounced back up. And this continued, him screaming in confusion the entire way. He continued to bounce up and down on the cushy hill, finally losing momentum and laying sprawled out on the top of it.

"I… I'm dead now, I suppose?" he wondered shakily. He looked to his right, and a small, stuffed creature approached him. "…A little me?" he wondered, noting the stuff animal's familiar looks.

"Gero gero gero," it replied, tilting its head to one side, and held out a hand to help him up. Keroro took this, and stood uneasily, and looked about. Everything was plush, he noted after a few moments of looking about and taking in the surroundings. Even the hill he stood on looked more like a patchwork quilt than a regular hill….

"…Giroro Goucho really does have quite the imagination…." Keroro muttered, disturbed.

"Ojiisama~!" both the stuffed animal and the real, original Keroro turned toward the voice, and Mois bounded toward Keroro, giggling happily.

"Mois-dono's dream?"

"Could you say, a lot of cushion and no substance. KUUUUKUKUKU!" behind Keroro was Kururuko, dressed in Mois's familiar schoolgirl uniform.  
Keroro gave Kururu a plain look, "Some help you were there…."

"Ojiisama's in my dream! Could you say totally wonderful?!" Mois gasped happily. "Come on, Ojiisama!"

"Where to?" Keroro followed her, and breathed a sigh of relief; this dream looked safe, at least. He had to catch himself, though, as over the hill the ground seemingly ended, falling off into space. Mois had vanished, along with the stuffed Keroro.

It didn't take long for them to resurface, though. She rode about the space happily, riding her Lucifer spear, the stuffed Keroro happily seated on it with her. The planets in the so-called spaced hung from strings, and looked just as plush and fake as the rest of the world of Mois's dream. She stopped at one, hitting it and laughing as it exploded into a blast of glitter and confetti.

"Isn't it fun, Ojiisama!?"

"Gero gero ge!" answered the stuffed Keronian.

"I… I'm not sure what to feel about this," Keroro admitted, his one eye twitching.

"Kukuku! Don't you have something to be doing?"

"Oh! Right! Mois-dono! I need your help!"

"Hrm? But I'm already helping Ojiisama," Mois replied, stopping her destructive spree for a moment, but still keeping her spear in hand.  
Keroro went to speak again, but gave a yell of panic; from the darkness in the space of her dream opened a set of eyes, the same ones of the dream eater.

"Mois-dono! Look out!" Keroro called out.

"Oh?" Mois turned her head, and she, too, saw the eyes. With a determined look on her face, she tightened her hold on her spear and smiled. "Don't worry, Ojiisama, I'll take care of this! Could you say, totally playing the hero?! Hellmagedeon—EH?!" the spear went right into the darkness, much to Mois's horror. "C-Could you say totally unexpected?!"

"…Kuku, well, that's clearly not working. Looks like she's a goner," Kururu commented.

"M-Mois-dono!" Keroro called out, and jumped for her.

He only fell straight down, again, now sailing through the black sky.

"Only one more dream left… It has to be going to Giroro Goucho! He can help me… If not…." Keroro gave a small sigh at what could very well be, then clenched his fists. "No! As sure as there are stars in the sky and a love of Gunpla in my heart, this won't happen!"

This heroic speech was interrupted as Keroro fell into a dark sea. A literal one, this time, filled with freezing ocean water.

Coughing, moments later he emerged, and swam to the closest concrete embankment. "Drowning in dreams is always so convincing!" he coughed, and then wiped his mouth, and took a moment to look down as his hand. "…I'm the color of a manga character!"

He looked around, noting that everything was in black and white. He was at an airport now, with one lone plane on the runway. It was a small, two-passenger plane, and at its side stood both a short and a tall figure. As Keroro approached closer he saw the tall figure was none other than Natsumi, dressed in a trenchcoat and hat. It didn't take any guesswork to figure out who the other person was, and Giroro, Keroro saw, was dressed in similar fashion.

"But… I can't go! I… I can't leave you, Giroro… I… Well…"

"Natsumi… You have to get on that plane, or you'll regret it…. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but—KERORO?!" Giroro blanked, and his reddening face at having been caught like this was apparent even in the two-toned world.

"Giroro Goucho! Thank goodness!" Keroro was out of breath, and looked about. "Where could that monster be?"

"Monster? You mean you haven't caught it yet?!" Giroro barked.

"I-I keep trying to…." Keroro muttered.

"Get back to work and stay out of my dreams!" Giroro yelled, and after a kick delivered to his superior's backside, Keroro was flying yet again.

"WAAHH! Wait! You were my last hope to catch the! OOF!" when he landed, his head was spinning. All of the dream jumping was certainly taking it out of him. He stood, uneasily, and looked about. Nothing but…

Nothing. Dark nothing.

"H-Hello? Natsumi-dono? Fuyuki-dono?... Anybody… dono…?"

"Kukuku! Looks like we're in the last of the dreams…." Kururuko took a step forward, now in the original magical girl outfit.

"L-Last of the dreams?" Keroro blinked.

"Yes… This is Kururu Soucho's. Although it seems that he's censoring it. Strong minds are always difficult, but a good challenge."

"…Wait," Keroro thought for a moment, and went pale. "You… You're not Kururu Soucho at all, are you?"

"You've got me…. It's about time, too. All of this "kukuku" and "ore-sama" was driving me insane," the smile on Kururuko grew unnaturally twisted, and Keroro gave a dry gulp, and took a step back.

"Now there's just one more dream to get… And it's yours," she lunged forward, and Keroro yelled, and…

Bolted straight up from the floor in a shaking cold sweat. He looked about; Kururu's lab… It was as if he'd never left it. "What… What a relief!... Right, Kururu Soucho? Eh? Kururu Soucho?"

Kururu walked over to the side of the machine, and Kururu was curled up on the floor, fast asleep. Keroro attempted to shake him awake, but it was to no use. He then looked over his shoulder, and Tamama, Kirere, Dororo, and Giroro were all asleep as well. He tried each of these, even going as far as to scream in Giroro's ear, but nothing.

"Still asleep, neh?" Kururuko's voice. No, Kururu's. No… The Dream Eater's. Keroro turned around, and there was another outfit change… This one a long black dress, gloves, and spiked headpiece. She looked down at Keroro with disdain. "There's levels of dreams, you know…. You're in another level of the dreams, is all. No one can hear you from here."

"I thought that was just a cliché!" Keroro gaped, "I'll beat you at this game!" he shouted, and pinched his arm. He found himself in a great deal of pain, and with the monster still in front of him.

"….Really? And you go on about my clichés?" the monster snorted, and took a step forward. "Now come here. Don't make this difficult. Keroro attempted to run, but this was futile. He was wrapped up in the long, black arms of the beast."Now… To your dreams… Let's see…" the monster smiled a wicked and excited smile, which faded slowly. And Keroro awaited the devouring of his dreams, his eyes clenched tight, but he slowly opened one as he felt nothing.

"What… What's going…" the monster took a step back, and clutched her head. "What's going on?! What… What's happening?! I… I don't understand!" she shouted, clutching it with both hands in pain again. Keroro stepped backwards from the screaming monster, who returned to its normal, shadowy form…

And he woke up in a cold sweat again, from the same spot on the floor.

"Gunso-san?" Tamama was the first to approach Keroro, curious.

"Did Teicho-dono get the beast?" Dororo wondered, also taking a step towards the spooked Keroro.

Keroro leapt up and embraced both Dororo and Tamama.

"…Am I… Dreaming?" a blushing Tamama wondered.

"So it disguised itself as Kururu, eh? Figures. And you probably like the idea of that," Giroro snorted from his spot on the couch. The group had gathered around the living room, all looking equally exhausted.

"Actually I'm a bit insulted, kuku! I don't like my image used without my permission," Kururu answered with his trademark laugh.

"I wonder why it screamed like that and disappeared…" Kirere wondered.

"Stupid Frog probably starved it when it got into his brain," Natsumi snorted, her arms folded.

"Kuku! Well, it can't handle the brains of idiots or geniuses… It must have, for lack of a better word, vomited out all of our dreams in the process of not being able to handle Senpai's, kuku!"

"How come it got through yours, then? You're a genius, aren't you?" Kirere wondered. Kururu jerked back.

"Tch. I suppose my wearing the helmet that was supposed to help me get into the dreams made me more vulnerable," he said, followed by a laugh.

"How? Maybe you're not as smart as it takes for it to starve!" Kirere suggested, her eyes brightening. Kururu only answered with a snort of dismissal.

"No way. It chokes on morons' brains, too, remember?" Tamama snorted.

"One look at you and it would've died a million times over."  
Kirere gave a yell and went on the attack. She and Tamama began to roll about the room, Giroro rushing over to attempt to break them up.

"Kuku! Maybe I didn't use the right word… There are certain types of brains that are caustic to it… They're incredibly rare, though."

"So Gunso has a rare brain, is all!" Fuyuki laughed.

"You mean there aren't any others like him? That's a relief!" Natsumi sighed and stood.

"I have to wonder what brought it here in the first place…." Fuyuki thought to himself.

"Kuku, just another random event, more than likely. You can predict attacks as well as you can what you're going to dream any given night."

"Figures we'd have luck like that," Natsumi stood and stretched. "Well, I'm getting some rest… I think I deserve it, at this point!"

"I'm sort of tired, too," Kirere admitted with a yawn.

"I need to get back to that chicken…" Dororo muttered to himself, a look of concern on his face.

"Chicken?" Tamama repeated.

"N-Nothing! I said nothing!" Dororo yelped, went red-faced, and rushed away.

"I declare an Occult Club sleepover!" Chandi exclaimed, and Momoka gasped, looking down at the ground and her face reddening.

"T-This soon? I just don't think I'm ready for that sort of a thing yet!" Momoka exclaimed.

"Haha, that could be fun, huh, Gunso?" Fuyuki laughed. "Eh? Gunso?" Keroro had fallen asleep amidst at this, snoring gently. Fuyuki removed his jacket, placed it over Keroro, and stepped back, looking down at Keroro. "I wonder what Gunso dreams about, Nee-chan."

"Knowing him? Gunpla and destroying us," Natsumi snorted.

"You think so? I think he just thinks back to happy memories, myself!" Fuyuki admitted.

Whatever it was, Keroro laid there, mumbling in his sleep, kicking lightly, and smiling contently, getting the best sleep he had in days.

In love memory of the original Dream Machine, Satoshi Kon, 1963-2010


	59. Pururu: I Need to Study in Peace! Pt1

Anyway, on to the next chapter! :) A spin on what's become a favorite topic amongst the Keroro writers. Please bare with me XD

Episode 29  
Pururu: I Need to Study in Peace, Please!  
Part 1

"That should conclude the meeting," Garuru announced, his arms behind his back as he stood in front of the small platoon her headed. "Are there any questions?"

Please don't let there be any questions, he begged quietly. Taruru raised his hand. Garuru quietly cursed to himself.

"Yes, Taruru Ittohei?" please let this be quick.

"I was just wondering if we could go over our benefit plans again, maybe in more detail?"

'…I don't even know all of mine,' Garuru thought to himself, and then shook his head. "You'll… Have to ask someone in resources about that."

"Oh! Okay!" Taruru replied brightly. This worked. Crisis averted.

"Hrm? Tororo-chan, are you all right?" Pururu looked to her right, and noticed the little orange Keronian did not look well at all. His face was flushed, and he sat slumped in his chair. She reached over and felt his forehead with the back of her hand, and gasped, "You're burning up! Let's get you down to the medical bay…. Tororo-chan, if you ate better, you wouldn't be sick like this!"

"I'm fine!" he snapped back, although this was followed by a cough.

"…We're getting you some medicine and fast," Pururu took him by the arm gently, and led him down to the medical wing. They entered her office, and she went to work on pulling up his file on the computer.

"Access denied? That's odd…" she muttered, and went to type in her information once more. "Denied? Why is it…?"

"Oh, yeah! I should mention this came for you, Pururu-san!" Taruru had stuck his head in the doorway, and held out an envelope to her. "I figured you were busy, so I went ahead and read it for you. Apparently you need to take another certification test before you can continue as a medic here! Weird, huh?"

"Wha… What?..." she muttered, dazed, taking the envelope.

Tororo, feeling just as awful, groaned and laid back on the doctor's table.

"Oh! And you got another letter, too. It's from the people who're making the dresses for Fujuju-san's wedding—They said that they're going to need you to go to another fitting, since they changed the color of the dresses again. I can't believe you're a bridesmaid again! This makes what, the twentieth time? Oh, well. Have a good time, and save me some cake if you can! Bye! Feel better, Tororo-kun!"

Tororo answered with a groan. Pururu continued to read over the letter, dazed.

"I'm sorry to do this so short notice," Pururu said regretfully, looking down at the ground while a purple suitcase flanked either side of her.

"I understand you wanting to go somewhere quieter to study…" Garuru exclaimed. He heard a crash, followed by Zoruru hissing Taruru's name, and Pururu gave a nervous laugh. "I completely understand. Are you sure the Keroro base is the best place to get your studying done, though? I can't imagine it being much quieter…."

Another crash. Pururu twitched a smile, "It's worth a shot."

"I see. Give Giroro my regards."

"I can't thank you enough for this, Garuru Chuii. And if you have any questions, then let me know. You'll be able to reach me by phone. There should be a replacement arriving for me shortly."

"We'll try not to bother you, Pururu-san. Take care," Garuru waved her off and sighed. He watched as she exited, then he saw her smaller ship leave the large base, meeting halfway with an incoming ship. The ship was coming very, very, quickly at them, Garuru noted. He barely had time to brace himself before he felt a shake against the entire spaceship. The replacement for Pururu had either just crashed into the side of the ship, or had made one heck of an incoming landing.

"Thank you again, Keroro-kun. I swear I won't be a bother," Pururu said with a polite bow to her hosts in the Hinata household.

"No worries, Pururu-chan!" Keroro waved this off. He stood with the rest of the Keroro platoon in the front of the Hinata household, while the medic stood across from them, her purple bags at either side. She started to take her suitcase, but Keroro stopped her. "I'll take that for you, Pururu-chan! Kirere-chan, why don't you show Pururu-san her room?"

"Sure! Come on!" Kirere exclaimed, waving Pururu along.

"All right, gentle—Urk!" Keroro fell back, expecting the luggage to follow with him but it somehow not. He tried again, but the luggage didn't budge. "It's… Much heavier than it actually seems…. Eh, Giroro, get this, would you?"

"W-Why me?!" Giroro snapped.

"I'll get one, Gunso-san!~" Tamama exclaimed, hopping over to one of the suitcases. Moments later, he trudged along, the suitcase on his back, while Giroro followed with the other suitcase on his back, and Kururu atop this suitcase.

"Nyooo~" Kururu exclaimed as Giroro shuggled in.

"J-Just what the hell does she pack in here, anyway?!" Tamama panted, his legs shaking.

"Ehehe… Pururu-san's always been quite the heavy packer…." Keroro admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"And this is your room!" Kirere rushed n and turned around, her arms spread to show off the room to Pururu.

"Ah, it's very nice! You must have helped out a lot, Kirere-chan!" Pururu gasped happily, admiring the beautifully furnished pink and white guest room.

"Actually, Kururu-san decorated this!" Kirere answered proudly. A chill went through Pururu.

"He… Really is talented, hehe…." Pururu chuckled.

"UGH!" The bag fell on the ground, and Giroro collapsed atop it. Tamama followed moments later, his legs giving out and the second heavy bag falling atop him.

"I guess my medical books really are heavy, aren't they?" Pururu giggled apologetically. "Purupurupurupurupurupurupuru…." as she resonated, the suitcases opened, and the books arranged themselves about the shelves in the room neatly.

Kirere watched this all in awe, and Pururu gave the little girl a small smile and patted her on the head to break her out of her stupor, "And one day you'll know how to do that, too, Kirere-chan!"

"I… I will!?" Kirere exclaimed.

"Don't encourage her, kukuku!" Kururu passed by the room as if on cue.

"Hey, let me try!" Kirere rushed out of the room while beginning her resonance. "Kirekirekirekirekirekire—"

The sound of grinding metal followed. "GEROOOOOO!" Keroro rushed past the doorway now, one of his own robos chasing after him, and Kirere after this, trying to stop the robot from rushing.

"….Earplugs were a good thing to bring," Pururu muttered to herself, reaching into her bag and pulling these out.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Pururu, having long taken out the earplugs while studying, stood, and answered the door. Much to her surprise, Kirere stood there, a plate of eggs and bacon in hand.

"Good morning!" she exclaimed. "Here's breakfast!"

"M-Morning?!" Pururu rushed back to the desk, and lifted up the clock, "Looks like I studied straight through the night!"

"You haven't been to bed yet? ….Here's dinner!" Kirere held out the plate to Pururu, who took it gratefully, and then lifted up her purple mechanic's bag.

"Oh? Where're you off to, Kirere-chan?"

"Work!" Kirere answered happily. "Hey, if it gets too loud here, you should come hang out with me and Haruki!"

"Hehe, I think that's all right. I don't think a garage is a good place to study. I suppose Keroro-kun and everyone will be working, too, so they won't be very loud."

There was an explosion from a floor above that sent the entire floor shaking for a moment. Natsumi's shouting and Keroro's screaming for forgiveness weren't that far behind.

"Maybe… Maybe I'll take you up on that yet…." Pururu said after a bit of thought.

"I'm here!" Kirere called out, and tossed her bag aside. It gave a heavy THUD! as it fell back into a corner of the garage, and Kirere wandered out of the empty garage and into Haruki's adjoining apartment. He was cleaning, she noticed, and something seemed a bit off about him. He jumped as she called his name, and Rocky lifted up his head.

"H-Hey, kiddo! Don't scare me like that!" Haruki laughed, stepping away from the small ancestor shrine, made up mostly of photographs of old relatives, decorations, and an incense burner. There was a single picture frame faced down on the shrine that he held his hand over, and that he quickly moved away from the photo as he realized this.

"Kire? What's wrong?" she hopped up on his bed and looked about. "…Your house…. It's…. Clean…."

"Hehe, yeah, I just clean when I'm thinking…."

"…Oh. That explains why it's dirty so much, I guess."

"H-Hey, don't you be cold to me, too!"

She then looked to the back of the door, and say the black suit hanging up. Her eyes went wide. "You got a date, didn't you!" she scurried up from the bed, and onto the top of the kitchen counter to come closer to eye level with him. "I wanna know about her! Did you tell her about me?! Was it good?! What kind of music does she like?! What color are her eyes!? What kind of engine does her car have, or does she ride a motorcycle, too!?"

"C-Calm down, I didn't go on a date," Haruki laughed. "I'm too busy for that now, anyway, hehehe…. The business is finally doing good, and I'm having to work overtime to keep it like that… Rokiki was good at records, so I really haven't run into too big a problem yet!"

"So what's with the suit, then?" Kirere asked, looking up at Haruki earnestly.

He began to form the words, and then the shop buzzer rang. He rushed to the front door eagerly.

"Wait! What if it's a bill collector?!" Kirere shouted out frantically, running after him. And Rocky thought about following for a moment, but then contented himself with remaining on his bed.

Haruki opened the door with such force that the Pekoponian-formed Pururu was a bit taken aback at first.

"Pururu-san!" Kirere shouted out happily, and Pururu gave a small bow and smiled. "You came to study here after all?"

"Things got a little hectic at Keroro-kun's hideout, so I thought I'd take you up on your offer," she answered, holding up a few of her textbooks.

"Medical certification?" Haruki read on one of the covers, and Pururu, surprised, turned the book around, studying the cover.

"Suzuyama-san, you know Keronian?"

"O-Only about ten words. It was more of the picture on the front that gave me a clue what it was," Haruki answered, embarrassed. "I know how studying for that can be, though, so go ahead, feel free to study wherever you want."

"Ojiisan wasn't offended, right?" Kirere asked worriedly as Pururu followed her in.

"No, I don't think so," a smile grew along Pururu's face. It was a pleasant one, but one that seemed a bit forced all the same.

"Gero…." there was still a good-sized lump on the back of Keroro's head, one that throbbed as he sat in the meeting room, his head laid against the podium. "Who knew Pururu-chan could be so violent? Even without her needle she's quite an opponent…"

"She did keep telling you to be quiet, you idiot!" Giroro snapped. "It serves you right!"

"Kukuku! Senpai, call for you," Kururu's chilly presence suddenly shadowed in the meeting room, and Giroro turned to follow the yellow scientist.

"A call? Who could be calling me?" Giroro wondered along the walk there. They stopped in Kururu's computer control room, and the red Corporal lunged back instinctively at the sight of his brother on one of the screens. Garuru, looking a bit out of sorts, adjusted his belt and cleared his throat.

"Garuru? …What do you want?" Giroro asked without a hint of any sort of emotion in his voice.

"I, just…." Garuru stopped. "Pururu Kangoucho isn't there, is she?"

"Actually she just left."

"You can tell her that things are going fine. I just wanted to give her an update," Garuru answered.

Giroro balked, "I'm not your secretary! Wait and call again!"

There was a crash and a scream heard from off camera. Garuru didn't even blink at this, "I have to go." The screen went black.

"Huh. The nerve," Giroro snorted and turned his back to the computers.

"Kuku, something seems amiss with Senpai's brother this morning…."

Pururu sighed and sat back in the old foldout chair. The Keronian was still in her human form, seated at the small table that served as Haruki's dining room, books piled high about her, "…I have to do well on this, everyone's counting on me…."

She allowed an arm to hang down at her side, and Rocky came up and nudged her. Her weary expression turned into a smile, and the petted the dog gently.

"I guess you're pretty lucky, not having to do something like this…" she said quietly to the dog.

"Eh, Pururu-san?" she turned her head at the knock on the door, and Haruki held up a white paper bag. "Kirere and I got you something, figured you'd be hungry."

"Oh! Suzuyama-san and Kirere-chan didn't have to go to the trouble!"

"It's all right. I remember nights like this when I'd have to take big medical tests."

"That's right, Suzuyama-san's a doctor, right?"

"Yeah, but it really wasn't something I liked doing. Plus I hate shots. How can I expect to give someone a shot when I don't even get them unless I have to?!" he answered, and set down the food on the lone spare space on the table. He opened up one of the medical books at the top of one of the piles, and tilted his head. "…This really isn't much different from the sort of things I had to read…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah… Hey, I bet I could even help you study if you wanted! I need to keep up with this stuff, anyway!"

"You wouldn't mind that?"

"Nah. My dad always said I needed to read more, anyway," he shrugged, and set aside a stack of the books that had been resting on the other chair.

"Haruki, do you want your udon now?" Kirere opened the door, and was taken aback at the sight of the mechanic already looking over one of the books, the medic beside him. Haruki looked up from the book, feeling Kirere's eyes on him.

"H-Hey, kiddo, you wouldn't mind if we called it early today, would you?"

"Huh? No, not at all—Don't mind me! I'm just gonna work a little bit out here!" Kirere shut the door, and tilted her head. "Hrm."

"Boy…. I remember why I'm not a practicing doctor unless I have to be now…." Haruki sighed and tilted his head back. The sun had set, Rocky was growing more irritable at not have being fed yet, and both Haruki and Pururu were yawning.

"Pururu-san?" Kirere knocked on the door, and Pururu blinked with surprise.

"Kirere-chan! You're still here?"

"I was going to wait for you to finish up…" Kirere rested on the side of the doorway, clearly as tired as everyone else.

Rocky gave a loud bark and hopped on his paws. He was still going on ignored.

"Well…"

"I'll walk you both home, how about that? You just wait outside, okay, kiddo?"

"Sure!" Kirere slunk off, shutting the door and giving another loud yawn.  
Rocky continued to bark and hop about as Haruki stood, eventually deciding to take serious action and reach for the trouser leg of the suit that hung on the back of the door.

"R-Rocky!" Haruki shouted out, lifting up the dog from the "new toy". "Bad dog, bad!"

Pururu bent down and picked up the clothing, along with a piece of paper that had fallen out. She couldn't help but read what was written on the front, and as soon as Haruki noticed this, his blood stopped cold.

"…Suzuyama-san, I… I'm so sorry…. Was this a relative of yours?"

"My father," Haruki answered, setting Rocky on the bed and then finally going to fill the dog's food bowl. "….I still haven't told Kirere yet… I don't know how to, either…"

"Well, I… I know you will," Pururu reassured him. She took hold of his hands as a sign of reassurance, but at this same moment, Kirere walked through and gave a quick gasp, shutting the door behind her.

She stood against the door, her eyes wide, "…Haruki and Pururu-san?!"


	60. Pururu: I Need to Study in Peace! Pt2

Thank you everyone for the lovely comments, they really mean a lot. And I know a lot of people were upset over Haruo (read: everyone who reads this was upset over Haruo. I got more comments over this chapter than most any other episode I can recall to memory) but your comments and feedback were great. Thank you so much.

Now, on to the chapter! This one came out a bit long XD;

Episode 29  
Pururu: I Need to Study in Peace, Please!  
Part 2

"Pururu-chan and the Bill Dodger?!" Keroro exclaimed from his seat. Kirere stood in the podium place, or beside it, more rather. She was too short but to barely peer over the podium. Mois stood in her usual spot on the stage, beside the white projector screen. Gathered in the seats were Keroro, Kururu, Dororo, Tamama, and Giroro. The three life-long friends of Pururu seemed shocked, while Tamama seemed… Thrilled… And Kururu a bit bored.

"That's great!" Tamama shouted out, and then immediately reverted to a more subdued tone. "I-I mean—How could Pururu-san do something like that? Shame on her."

"Heh. Deplorable!" Giroro snorted. "Are you sure about this, Kirere? Suzuyama seems a bit… Below… Pururu's standards…"

"Do you still have a bit of your crush leftover, Giroro Senpai? Kuuuukuku!"

"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Giroro snapped back.

"Well, it makes perfect sense, doesn't it?" Mois chimed in, and all attention was on her, "Pururu-san is a Medic, Suzuyama-san is a doctor, and both already have connections with plenty of secondary characters! Could you say, this is going to make the Christmas special very awkward this year?"

"…Gero…"

"This can't happen. We're all Pururu-chan's friends, we can't sit around and let her destroy her life like this!" Giroro exclaimed.

"I'm not a friend of hers, does this mean I'm out?" Kururu asked boredly.

"Haruki's not bad…" Kirere muttered. "He's really nice!"

What followed in Keroro, Dororo, and Giroro's mind was the image of Pururu as a junkyard mechanic's wife, fending off the bill collectors.

"Poor Pururu-chan…We have to stop this," Keroro concluded.

"…You have my word that I'll help," Giroro said to Keroro, holding up one of his guns.

"And my sword," Dororo replied, placing a hand on his blade.

"Kuku, I'm going to need my camera for this, I feel…." Kururu giggled, and exited the boardroom.

"Mois-dono, can we count you in to help?!" Keroro hopped out of his seat, his fist pumped and a determined look on his face.

"I don't really know what's going on, but okay, sure!" Mois replied, rushing down to meet Keroro.

"I'll help too, Gunso-san!" Tamama wasn't about to be one-upped by the Angol, and also followed Keroro out.

"Come on, you're helping, too," Giroro growled, pulling Kururu out of the room.

"Oh, honey, not in front of the kids, kuku!" Kururu giggled.

"…What just happened?" Kirere wondered, now alone in the boardroom.

"I think I have to take a break…" Pururu muttered and stretched.

"That's probably a good idea… I'll take Rocky out for a walk…" Haruki replied, and the dog barked happily, knowing it was indeed time to go out.

And when Haruki opened the door, he was a bit taken aback to see Giroro there, in a white suit, yellow wig, with a full bouquet of flowers.

Giroro said nothing, but the bouquet he held began to shake, and his face turned bright red, "W-Wrong house!" he exclaimed, and went off running behind a pile of junkyard rubble.

"Giroro Goucho! How did it operation steal Pururu-chan back from the Bill Dodger go?!" Keroro asked. Giroro gripped him by the throat.

"D-Don't ever make me have to compromise Natsumi again!" he shouted off, and stormed away, tossing the bouquet to a side.

"…Gero…."

"Gunso-san!" Tamama rushed up to Keroro, a paper in his hand.

"Tamama! How did it go!?"

"Well, I tried to locate people who Pururu-san dated or who liked her, but I either got no response or I got this," he held up a poorly faxed photo of a large raspberry. "This is from Bariri-san."

Keroro's one eye twitched.

"This is serious…." sighed Keroro, his shoulders slumping. "We can't allow Pururu-chan to fall in line with Suzuyama-dono. We'll have to go to more extreme options."

"W-What do you mean no!?" Giroro snapped. "Kururu, do you understand what we're doing here?!"

"Yes," Kururu answered, the boredom clear in his voice. "And you understand when I say I already have a client I'm busy with, or do you need me to break it down for you?"

"Why you—Who is he?! Tell me!"

"Kuku, jealous, Sempai?"

Giroro grit his teeth together, then stormed away from the yellow scientist. Moments later, Kirere stepped out from the shadows, a worried look on her face.

"…I hate having to be tricky like this…" she muttered regretfully, looking down at the ground.

"Kuku, don't be," Kururu's chair turned to her, and his smile grew a bit. "Although I have to say I am surprised… You resorting to trickery, of all things."

Kirere flinched, and clenched her fists, "I-If Haruki and Pururu-san want to be happy together, I can't let Dad and the other stop them!"

"Well, he always nags that we don't bond enough, so I suppose this could be a good opportunity to get that out of the way, too," Kururu said thoughtfully. "Did you have anything in particular?"

"Mm," Kirere nodded.

"That was an ordeal," Giroro muttered, rubbing his head and joining Keroro on the apartment landing.

"Did you get in touch with Suzuyama-dono's former fiancé, Giroro Goucho? If we can't find any of Pururu-chan's exes who still feel for her, we can certainly find one of Suzuyama-san's!"

"I never know of the venom Pekoponian women until that phone call," Giroro grumbled. "The very mention of his name and she started screaming at me. I finally had to pretend I was going through a tunnel and let her go."

"Let's hope this works, then," Keroro knocked on the apartment door, and Lavie, surprised, answered moments later.

"I'm sorry if you're looking for my brother, I'm so sorry!" she bowed deeply several times before Keroro or Giroro could get in barely a word. "Nii-chan is away for work right now!"

"Away?" Keroro replied.

Lavie nodded, "He found an ad for a correspondence class in the back of a magazine he found in the garbage while looking for any spare yen!"

"…That's... Incredibly depressing…" Keroro muttered.

"It really is!" Lavie said brightly, her attitude still positive in spite of this. "He managed to gather enough change to send away for the course, so now he's trying a new job! It's just until the economy picks up again, he says."

"You're the one we wanted to see, anyway," Giroro huffed, his arms folded. "Keroro, hurry this up."

"Ah! Gero, well, you see, this is about Suzuyama-dono—"

"Haruki-kun?" the look that came over Lavie was one Giroro immediately recognized, and the soldier jumped.

"Yes, well, he and—" Giroro gripped Keroro about the neck with one arm, and with the free hand, shut his friend's mouth.

"W-We saw his birthday is coming up, and we were looking for gift ideas!" Giroro sputtered. "We just need gift ideas is all! Gift ideas!"

Lavie smiled and giggled, "Well, I was going to get him something simple. I don't have much money, but I still wanted to do something for him! I was working on a something, did you want to see?"

"T-That'd be great!"

And the moment Lavie turned her back, Giroro bolted with Keroro.

"O-Oh no, where did they go? Did I say something?" Lavie wondered, the half-knit dog-shaped stuffed toy in hand. "I.. I must have…. Nii-chan's friend, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" she called out.

"She's still got feelings for him. We couldn't have told her about Bill Dodger and Pururu! Damnit!" Giroro huffed, pacing about the meeting room. "Damn it! He's pissing me off more and more just thinking about this!"

"At least you didn't get a bruise," Keroro grumbled, rubbing his throat. "Maybe this is too much trouble."

"You can't go through with anything the entire way that's not your Gunpla!" Giroro barked. "This is why you're still unmarried at your age!"

"Gero!"

"It won't always be that way," Tamama said to himself wistfully, quieter than anyone could hear. Keroro, feeling a sudden chill, shook a bit. "Right, Gunso-san? I'll just bide my time…."

"The temperature just dropped, and Chunini-dono isn't here… Strange," Keroro muttered, shivering a bit. "Hopefully Dororo will have some better luck… It all rests on him, now."

"You're so lazy!" Giroro growled.

From the inside of Haruki's small apartment, there was laughter. And from one of the shady trees, a lone assassin watched the doctor and medic through the window, from the safety of the trees.

"Pururu-dono. Please understand this is for your own good," Dororo said to himself, and hopped up from the tree. At that moment, he was startled by a scream.

"HELP!" came a shout from across the junkyard.

"Kirere-chan?!" Dororo exclaimed, hitting the ground instead of his original target, the rooftop. He went rushing to the little girl's aide. He found her through the maze of the junkyard quickly, and rushed up, sword drawn. "What's the matter?!"

"…My music box… It… It broke…" Kirere held out the damaged trinket to Dororo, who chuckled playfully.

"Oh, that's no problem for a smart girl like Kirere-chan! It wouldn't be like when Keroro-kun… When he broke mine…" the ninja trailed off. He stood there for a few moments, silent, and Kirere watched as he curled into a ball of traumatic energy.

"Santa's not going to bring me anything this year," she moaned, her arms slumping to a side.

"Kukuku! Now, now, don't be hard on yourself. I'm actually going to have to admit I'm impressed," Kururu emerged from behind a pile of junk, a pushcart in hand. He loaded Dororo onto this, and shuffled off, the traumatized ninja in hand.

"That's enough studying for now!" Haruki exclaimed, closing the book and stretching. Pururu looked over her textbook for a few moments, then nodded and closed hers as well. "I say coffee and lunch, my treat!"

"Su-Suzuyama-san, I'll pay, honestly!" Pururu gasped. "I couldn't ask you to, really, I—"

"No, my treat, I insist. Besides, I owe you a little for helping me study, too!" Haruki chuckled, rising and heading for the front door. "I'll have enough money to eat afterwards, too, if that's what you're worrying about."

"What? W-Well…"

"I'm not destitute, but I'm not rich, either," Haruki admitted, putting on a jacket. "I just think too much money brings too much trouble with it."

"I see," Pururu laughed, relieved. 'How well-off must he be if he's able to afford think like this?', she thought with a twitch of the mouth. Her cell phone, left on the table, started to buzz. She rushed to pick it up, "Hello? Zoruru Heicho? Why are you of all people—" She was cut short as she heard a struggled, and Garuru was now on the line. "Ga… Garuru Chui? Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Zoruru just called you on accident…. It was completely an accident," Garuru's voice was calm as usual. There was the sound of an explosion in the background, and Garuru paused. "I have to go tell them to turn down that television now. We're sorry for disturbing you, it won't happen again."

"O-Oh? All right," she set her phone down, and looked to Haruki.

"Everything all right?"

"As far as anyone's telling me…" she muttered. Her smile returned moments later, "All right, let's go! I'm starved!"

"Dororo?! What happened?!" Giroro gasped as Kururu walked into the conference room, Dororo still on the cart.

"It was so long ago… Y-Yet the pain is so fresh…" Dororo muttered.

"Kuku, must have run into trouble," Kururu chuckled, standing beside the ninja.

Giroro snorted, "This won't be in vain. Dororo will be avenged, and Pururu will be saved."

"I'll come with you, Giroro Goucho-san!" Tamama exclaimed.

"Yes! Tamama will go with you, Giroro Goucho-san!" Keroro called out.

"This mission could be dangerous. I'm not sure," Giroro admitted.

"Gero, nonsense! It'll be great practice!" Keroro pushed Tamama over to Giroro. "Now have a good time!"

"Lucky!" Tamama called out cheerfully, "Let me go get my mace! I've been saving it for a special occasion, hehe!~"

Off he went to the training room. He was surprised to see, of all people, Kirere there, on the floor of the room, working on a disassembled light fixture.

"Kiichi? What're you doing here?" he wondered, lifting up the heavy mace in hand.

"Haha, I had a few lights to fix!" she replied. "Tama-nii-chan, what're you doing with that?"

"T-This? Haha, just getting it polished, is all!" he replied, swiftly concealing the mace behind his back.

"...You're going to break up Haruki and Pururu-san," Kirere answered calmly. "I understand."

"Y-You do?"

"Mm. If you're able to sacrifice your feelings for Ojiisan, it's only right that I be able to sacrifice something too!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, good! ….Wait. Just what are you talking about?"

"Well, Pururu-san and Ojiisan are childhood friends. And you know what happens with things like that…. Dororo-san has Lupapa-san, and Dad has Natsumi-san… All that's left is Ojiisan, really. It happens all the time in the movies…." she casually went back to work.

"…Oh my God…." he muttered. He tossed aside the mace and went rushing out of the room. "I can't let that happen! I won't! T-Thanks, Kiichii!"

"…My soul feels so heavy," Kirere muttered, slumping down on the ground.

"This is so lovely!" Pururu exclaimed. She sat in a small café across from Haruki, and sipped her coffee. Haruki looked a bit like he knew he felt out of place at the fancy establishment, but tried to brush this off. "They even make a little heart in the foam on top of the coffee! I've only heard about places like this!"

"Everyone needs a nice break every once in a while! Do you think you'll be ready for your certification now?"

"With a little more studying, yes," she answered, nodding. "It's been so relaxing while I've been here, it's funny to admit! I never really equated Pekopon with relaxation anymore! And I didn't think studying could be so nice, either!"

"Well, I definitely like the practice! It keeps me from getting rusty!" Haruki admitted.

"Suzuyama!" Haruki and Pururu both jumped at the sound of the mechanic's name. Giroro stood there, in a Pekoponian suit, looking a bit embarrassed at having the attention of the café on him but trying to disregard this. "I challenge you to a duel!"

"W-What'd I do!?" Haruki yelped.

"I knew this was too good to be true…" Pururu sighed. "Somehow I knew it."

"You know what you did! Now it's time for you to be put to an end!" Giroro exclaimed.

"I-I honestly don't know, though!" Haruki replied.

"Hold on there!" another voice. This one, a masked man in a suit, with an abnormally round head. And beside him, a tanned, blonde-haired girl wearing a surgical mask to hide her identity.

"Could you say, warriors of justice?" she giggled, tilting her head.

The masked man growled, "I offered for you to join me, woman, not to upstage me!"

"…I think we better get lunch to go, Suzuyama-san," Pururu said with a disappointed sigh.

"W-What?! You can't go against your superior like that!" Giroro barked to Tamama and Mois.

"There are some things in life where there are no boundaries!" Tamama shouted back.

"Should, we….?" Haruki started.

"Let's let them go for a little bit more," Pururu replied.

"This is a mutiny!" Giroro snapped, and then went to attack. And then in started. Café chairs went flying, patrons and waiters went running, and Pururu continued to sip her coffee, relaxed, while Haruki grew increasingly nervous.

"That was really quite good. I hope we get a place like this on Keron," she stood from her table and smiled. "Excuse me for a moment, Suzuyama-san."

Pururu walked away from him, and there were two screams heard; first Giroro's, and then Tamama's. After this was a nervous laugh from Mois.

"C-Could you say, a peaceful surrender? Therefore no need for excessive force!?"

Giroro and Tamama still wore bandages from where Pururu's needle had hit them. Dororo remained on the cart, still traumatized, and Kirere sat on the couch, looking embarrassed. Keroro was beside her, his arms crossed, and Mois's eyes didn't lift up from the ground. Across from them was a very cross-looking Pururu and beside her, a slightly embarrassed and somewhat amused Haruki.

"So… You and Pururu-san… Aren't an item?" Kirere asked sheepishly.

"No, but I guess I should be happy that you really think I can do that well!" Haruki said with a laugh to Kirere. Pururu's serious expression, too, melted away into a small smile.

"Suzuyama-san's not really my type. We're better friends, Kirere-chan," Pururu answered. "He was a great help studying for my test! Even with all of this distraction, I really feel like I'm prepared for it!"

"So you're not mad?" Kirere asked hopefully.

Pururu laughed, "Well, hopefully everyone learned something about jumping to conclusions!"

"Wait, so everyone was trying to keep me from dating you? ...Am I really thought of that way...?" Haruki wondered.

"I… I have to go. I left a burner on!" Keroro hopped over the couch to make his exit.

"I left another one of the burners one!" Mois exclaimed, following quickly behind him.

Pururu wore a wide smile on her trip back to her home base. The test had gone off without incident, much unlike the studying. She had regained her certification.

"And now, some peace," she said with a content smile. "I hope everyone was all right while I was gone! O-Oh?" she saw the damaged corner of the ship, and knew that there was trouble ahead.

She got on board, and Garuru greeted her, his left arm in a sling. He greeted her with the free one.

"Welcome back, Pururu Kangoucho. How did the test go?"

"Garuru Chui! What… What happened to your arm?"

"This? Nothing," he answered. "It's very good to have you back."

"Aw, does that mean that our other medic has to go now?!" Taruru poked his head in from the hall.

"Yes!" came Zoruru's voice quite sharply.

"Who… Who was the medic while I was gone?" Pururu asked with a nervous chuckle.

A Pekoponian-looking alien stepped out, laughing, "Super-outsourcing! GO!"

And Kogoro rushed past them, laughing all the way.

"What was that just now?" Pururu turned her head to Garuru.

"Nothing. Just evidence of the military budget cuts. It's very good to have you back," Garuru answered.

Botan looked down at the envelope, and thought for a moment, "…What's the year again?" she called out to her fiancé from the kitchen. Fujuju stuck his head out, a cheerful grin on his face.

"Which calendar would you like? Gregorian? Hebrew? Islamic?" Botan gave him a plain look, and he cleared his throat. "I… I believe we're still in 2010."

"Mm," she nodded, and crossed off the "Mrs." from Pururu's invitation, "It's still a few years away from that."

"So… You're okay?" Haruki asked Kirere as she sat on the bed beside him.

"Yeah… It just means that Grandpa's somewhere better now, right?" Kirere asked, looking up at Haruki.

"Yeah," he nodded. She reached over and embraced him around the arm.

"…You can borrow one of my dads if you ever need one," she said to him quietly.

"Hehe, thanks, kiddo, but I think they have enough trouble with you! You know… I think Grandpa would've been proud of you for sticking up for me like that! Not a lot of people ever have!"

"I'm just sad, too, that no one else seems to see it," Kirere said quietly.

"Ah, they will! And no one today meant any harm, they were just looking out for a friend—Just like you were doing for me!" Haruki answered. "And you do, now, and that's enough for me! Who needs anyone else when they've got a friend like that around?!"

"…You're not going to leave me for a long while, right, Haruki?"

"I'll definitely do my best not to. I started looking after my health for you, didn't I?" Kirere nodded at this. "Hey! I've got something to give you!" he lifted her up and walked over to his dresser drawer, and pulled out a small black box from the top drawer. He set her down again, and Kirere opened it, gasping at the golden necklace with the small blue pendant attached to it. There was a symbol in black on the pendant, although it looked more like a squiggle than anything. "I figure you can wear it when you're in your human form. It was my mom's—Grandpa said especially that this was for you. Take care of it, all right?"

"Yeah!" she answered, shutting the case again. She embraced Haruki again, and he smiled and patted her atop the head.

And from outside the garage, a spirit, in the form of a young girl dressed in an outfit of ages past, smiled contently, while another spirit, this a young man in a Hawaiian shirt, watched on, laughing.

"When I told my son to meet a nice girl who would put up with him, I didn't exactly mean it like that! But… I guess this works, too," Haruo sighed.

"They look really happy," Ghost-chan said with a smile. "Just like when I had my own friend!"

"Thanks again for showing me the way! I probably would've gotten lost getting here, otherwise! So, how old did you say you really were again?"

"….Ehehehe…. W-What? W-Well…."

Another spirit appeared beside Haruo, this one an older woman. Haruo jumped at the sight of her.

"Don't you have a wife to go visit?" she asked Haruo, looking over her glasses to Haruo.

"M-Ma! I didn't expect for you to find me so soon!" Haruo admitted, laughing. He looked upward for a moment, and then shrugged, "I might actually stick around for a little bit, first. I think I still need to watch over them a little bit. Plus I don't want to deal with having to explain myself just yet!"

"Even passing on, you never change," she sighed, and laughed. "What my daughter saw in you I'll never know, Haruo… But I'm glad she saw it."

"That's the closest thing you've even given me to a compliment, Mama! You've softened with death, it seems!"

"Don't get too comfortable with it; I still think you're a bum and a lecher. But you've got a good heart," she answered. "Come on now, let's let them be for a while." She vanished, followed by Ghost-chan, and, lastly, Haruo, who smiled as he did so.

"Eh? What's this?" Kirere proudly hung the necklace down in front of Kururu's face, and then giggled and spun about.

"Haruki gave it to me!" she answered.

Kururu paused, "Can I see that?"

"Yeah. Just be careful, all right?" she handed it over to Kururu, who studied the symbol. "It was his mother's! ...Eh? Papa? Is there something wrong with it?"

Kururu handed it back to her, "No. Nothing. It's just gaudy, kuku!" Kirere ignored this, and danced back to her room. Kururu, meanwhile, went to his computer, and began to type.

After a bit of hacking into some of the museum databases, he found what he was looking for. The same symbol as the necklace, but on an ancient book cover.

"...It seems Haruo Suzuyama was a very mysterious individual indeed. I don't think that Kirere-chan's meeting with the Suzuyama family is as much by chance as we first might have thought, kuku!"


	61. Keroro Shotai: A Vengeful Spirit! Pt1

Thanks for the wait on this, everyone! I think you'll really, reallyyyy like having waited, it's well-worth it. This chapter's going to run a little bit differently, and, as you go along, you'll see what I mean. If you're reading this in the forum, it's just this one post, for a change. If you're reading this on Deviantart, you're going to get some info at a certain point as to what to do. :) I hope you like this one, guys.

And I would like, in advance, to thank Rien~ko.

Episode 30  
Keroro Shotai: Enter a Vengeful Spirit!  
Part 1

Halloween night:  
"Gero…" Keroro opened his bedroom door, pouring yellow light into the otherwise darkened household. "I suppose I took longer on those models than I thought! Well, perfection doesn't come quickly! You think I would have been called to dinner at least, though…. Oh, well…. There must be a leftover something here! I would even take some of Kirere-chan's cooking right now…" he muttered, his stomach growling. He hopped up on his stool to switch on the kitchen light, and was surprised as it remained dark in the kitchen.  
"Gero?"  
He tried flipping it on and off of a few more times.  
Still dark.  
"Someone must have forgotten to switch a bad bulb…" he grumbled. "Leave everything to me, of course! Even if it would mean an end to most of my free time, I certainly wouldn't mind conquering this planet some times. That would make things like this annoyance something of the past!"  
"Hellllooooo…." a voice whispered from the darkness of the kitchen.  
"H-Hello?" Keroro slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice. "Hello?" he took a step further, now entering the living room.  
"Come closer…." the voice whispered. Keroro did so, although hesitantly.  
"Hello?" Keroro called out into the dark. No answer. He ended up beside the couch, and peeked around the side of it. Out popped a red, ghoul-faced monster with a shriek, and Keroro gave a high-pitched scream, and took off running, rushing to his room but forgetting the small detail of the door still being closed. He hit against it, and fell back.  
"Gero…" he muttered from the ground, his head spinning. The lights suddenly came on, and Keroro could hear laughter from the living room. Chandi stood up from the couch, the ghoul's face, which really was but a rubber mask.  
"I guess this will be a scary enough costume for the party!" she giggled.  
"Gunso!" Fuyuki rushed downstairs, already in a costume of his own; he was dressed as a zombie. "What happened?"  
"F-Fuyuki-dono! It was awful!" Keroro rushed into Fuyuki's arms.  
"Sorry, I really didn't think it would scare you that much!" Chandi replied. "I just figured if it could be enough to scare a military man a little bit, that this would be scary enough for the party!... Worked with Rokiki, at least."  
"I never thought Rokiki Tai to be someone for holidays," Keroro said, now a bit more relaxed.  
"Well, he wasn't, usually, but he helped me with my costumes sometimes…" she looked down at the mask and smiled a little bit.  
"T-That's still no excuse for doing something like that, Pekoponian!" Keroro snapped. "You wait for yours! It'll be when you least suspect it!"  
"Chandi-san said she was sorry, Gunso. No revenge, please," Fuyuki said with a laugh to the Sergeant.  
"Fine. Only because it's a holiday that Fuyuki-dono reveres so greatly!" Keroro snapped, folding his arms. Fuyuki set him down on the ground, and then turned his head to look back at t he clock in the living room. "Nishizawa-san should be here any moment! Nee-chan, are you coming?!"  
Natsumi descended the stairs, dressed in a short yellow dress, boots, gloves, and a witch's hat, "I've actually got another party to go to… I made a promise to Yayoi. She and another few friends are dressing up as characters from this new anime series, and this is the only character they were missing."  
"A witch is very fitting for Natsumi-dono!"  
"What was that, Stupid Frog?!" Natsumi snapped.  
"Ehehe…" Fuyuki gave a laugh, and took a step back. He was relieved as he heard a knock at the door. He outran everyone to it, and greeted Momoka at the door. She gave a giggle as she stood there, smiling and happy.  
'Even as one of the undead, Fuyuki is one of the most handsome ones of all!' she thought to herself. She had dressed up as a black cat, complete with ear, a leotard, a tail, and gloves.  
"Momotchi, do we get candy now?" Tamama appeared behind her, dressed as a white mouse.  
"Nee-chan, we're going now, all right?"  
"All right. Mama said she should be home by the time we're home," Natsumi answered.  
"Chandi-san, are you ready?" Fuyuki asked.  
She placed the mask over her face and nodded, hurrying out with them.  
"Natsumi-san!" the red-headed girl heard her name called, and she looked out the door; a group of similarly-dressed friends, all in different-colored witches outfits, stood outside out of the house, waving to her.  
"Coming!" she called out, and shut the door. "You do anything, and I'll know, Stupid Frog. Stay out of trouble," she warned, and then opened the door once more. "Okay, I'm all ready!" she took one more critical look at Keroro, and then shut the door.  
"Feh. Stupid Pekoponian," Keroro snorted. "On a night of mischief, there's plenty I could do…. If I were so inclined. Part of the Keron Military's strategy, however, is the element of surprise, and you would expect an attack right now! So I'm going to surprise you by not invading tonight. Now who'll laugh at that!"  
But there was no one there. Keroro gave a sigh and climbed up on the couch, "….Tamama is at a party… Mois-dono took that invitation with Porara-dono to visit… Giroro is at alien alley, taking Kirere-chan to a children's party… And I don't even know what someone like Kururu would be doing on a holiday like this… I'm fairly certain I wouldn't want to know what to know… Gero! I know! Ojiisama isn't doing anything tonight, I'll go bother him for a bit!"  
Keroro hopped off of the couch, now with a new vigor in him.

"I thought kids were supposed to come up and get their candy…" Romama muttered, raising his head from the couch and staring across the living room at the large bowl of candy beside his front door. Hours had passed, and no trick-or-treaters. A bit depressed by this, he pulled out a piece of candy from the bowl and resumed sitting on his couch, watching television. Horror movie—click—horror movie—click—horror moive—He had all but given up on television showing anything that wasn't terrifying.  
"Maybe they watched things like this and got too scared…" he muttered. "Or maybe I went too overboard with the decorations?" in reality, there was only a black and orange wreath on the front door, and a few bats hanging from the ceiling above his door.  
A knock on the door. Finally. He made one last check he was in his Pekoponian form, then rushed to the door, candy in hand.  
"Trick-or-treat, Ojiisama!" Keroro exclaimed, holding out a large pillowcase to Romama.  
The young boy slammed the door in his nephew's face.

"What do you mean they don't trick-or-treat here!?" Romama barked in anger. "I bought this candy for nothing!?"  
"It's all right, Ojiisama, it tastes awful, anyway!" Keroro reassured him.  
"Then quit eating it!" Romama growled. They sat in Romama's living room, the young boy still in disguise as a human and Keroro also in his human disguise, albeit a much less-convincing one.  
"Where did Ojiisama come about that idea, anyway?"  
Romama looked away and blushed, "I was on the phone with Mahihi. I heard Halloween was big in America so I thought I would ask an American how it was celebrated."  
"…Well, you can't be blamed for your methods, I suppose," Keroro muttered.  
"This is the last time I try a holiday," Romama muttered, standing up from the table and walking into the kitchen.  
"Ojiisama, what sort of candy is this, anyway?" Keroro asked, looking down at it warily. It wasn't even in cute shapes or colors, like the candy Tamama was often seen eating.  
"It's made directly from fruit. If you don't like it that much, stop eating it! I'll find someone who appreciates it!"  
"I want to, but my lifestyle as a freeloader has me so used to taking up any opportunity for something free I can't help myself," Keroro explained, popping another piece. "Gero?" he was suddenly distracted by the smell of food… Something much better than his uncle could have made…. Wafting through the air. This was followed by a knock on the door. Romama rushed to the front door and wasted no time pulling open the door.  
And neither he nor Keroro recognized the petite dark-skinned woman in the blue and teal sari. Her bright eyes smiled at Romama, and she held out a casserole dish to him. "Oh, good, you're home! I've been trying to catch you for a while now! I saw your light was on and I thought you would like some homemade cooking, Romama-san!"  
"M-Mora-san?" Keroro muttered, stunned. She turned to him and he knew it as a fact that it was Mora. Her hair was styled in the very same bob as the fins on the sides of her head, and her eyes and smile were just the same. "H-How did you?..."  
"Rokiki-kun let me use one," she explained, pointing to the small gray symbol on the shawl of the sari. Her mouth twitched a little at the mention of Rokiki, and Romama took the dish, and stepped aside for her to enter. "I can look like a Pekoponian, but I can't use any of my powers… Chandi hasn't seen that I can do this yet, she'll be so happy when she sees me, though!"  
"Would you like to have dinner with us?" he asked, and she lit up again immediately. The dish was probably just an excuse for company, Romama realized. And he knew how lonely that feeling could be.

"…And by the time we both woke up the next morning, he'd not only fixed the door, he'd made a new one! He didn't know you could just go out and buy a door!" Mora laughed. She was still in mourning, it was clear. This left both Keroro and Romama feeling very, very uncomfortable, along with the fact that neither of them had any particularly fond memories of the Keronian.  
'I remember when he tried to kill me….' Romama thought. Keroro sat there, eating the mysterious but somehow delicious dish, and thought the very same thing.  
"I'm not bothering either of you with all of this, am I?" Mora asked quietly. Both nephew and uncle began to shake their heads.  
"N-No, you're fine!" Romama reassured her.  
"Really!" Keroro added with a laugh.  
She sat back, her smile small and a bit sad but relaxed, "It's all right… I know I am… Thank you both for being so kind… I'll get back… Chandi should be home soon, then!"  
"Mora-san, you don't have to go if you don't want to," Romama replied, standing from the table with her.  
"Ugh… That candy was no good," Keroro grumbled, placing an arm over his stomach.  
"You shouldn't have had so much, then!" Romama growled, and then turned back to Mora. "At least let me see you off across the street."  
"That'd be very kind of you, Romama-san," Mora nodded, and he walked over to the apartment door with Mora, spinning around once and pointing at Keroro. "No scary movies! And don't touch anything!"  
The door slammed behind him, and Keroro huffed, stood, and began to walk around the apartment, investigating it…. It wasn't the most well-furnished, but was there was mildly interesting, at least. A lot of knickknacks from Russia, especially on the small wooden shelving units set up above the TV.  
"This is cute… A bit too cute for someone like Ojiisama, one would think," Keroro poked at the pale porcelain doll in the bell-shaped dress, and yelped as its head proceeded to fall off. Jumping back from this in order to not incriminate himself when his uncle returned, he took a few steps back… And right into the mandolin lying beside the couch.  
Outside of the apartment complex, Aya raised her head at what she thought was a sudden movement from the apartment above her… The apartment where her little angel lived…. In her one hand there was a bag of groceries, and the other held together her red jacket tight, to prevent any further cold from coming in.  
Romama couldn't see the ruckus Keroro was causing, but he did see Aya standing on the sidewalk, looking up at the window. He watched her, quiet and concerned, while Mora worked to open her door.  
"So she didn't go out with any friends?" he said to himself.  
"Got it!" Mora exclaimed happily, finally managing to open the door after a great deal of struggle. "Funny, I don't remember leaving the lights off…."  
"You don't?" Romama repeated, his head snapping towards her quickly. He took a step back out from the home, gripping onto Mora's arm, but not before he watched two large orange eyes open widely.  
"Run!" he shouted out to her, and she backtracked from the front step of the porch, falling onto the ground. Romama rushed in, shutting the door behind him.

**HEY! Don't stop go to my profile to finish the story before you go to part two!**


	62. Keroro Shotai: A Vengeful Spirit! Pt2

"R-Rokiki?!" Romama stuttered. The purple Keronian turned around, and then back to Rokiki.

"So that's what they call you… Almost makes you sound like a plain-face," laughed Horokohoro. "Well… I suppose I should be happy, you'll be here to see all of this…"

"My mother told you to stay with the tribe, not to pursue them!" Rokiki snarled.

"Well, let's just say I'm not that good of a listener," he laughed in return, shuffling the remains of his broken mask underneath his feet. "By the time I'm done with them, we'll have payback for everything that was done to our ancestors."

"You can't go living in the past like that! It'll only destroy you!" Rokiki snapped.

"Gero… Is this really the same person?" Keroro wondered aloud.

"…If you really think you have a chance, then fight me. I won't let you get in the way of this, not when we're this close… I won't let you get in the way of my glory."

Horokohoro lunged, his scythe raised high in the air; Rokiki blocked this with his small blade, his arms shaking to hold off the attack. Horokohoro jumped back and chortled, and went to attack again. He was stunned momentarily as he felt something hit hard against his head. He spun around, and saw Keroro on the porch of the apartment, another  
watermelon raised over his head. He looked down at his feet, and saw what he'd been hit with—Another melon, on the ground, in bright orange chunks.

"You MORON! Out of everyting, you grab those?!" Romama growled.

"I-I'm just trying to help!" Keroro sputtered.

No matter," Horokohoro jumped up, bouncing off each of the rails until he landed on the same one Keroro stood in front of. The Sergeant immediately gulped and began to rush back behind the door, and Horokohoro swung at him with his scythe, only to miss and become lodged in the door. Rokiki took this opportunity to jump up and hit him atop the head with his hands balled together. Horokohoro flinched, but just as quickly dislodged his scythe and went to attack Rokiki once more.  
Romama took his opportunity to stumble and attempt to make his way back to his apartment.

"Ojiisama!" Keroro shouted out to Romama.

"He's distracted! Hurry! Get me my sword!" Romama called out to him. Keroro disappeared into the apartment, then hurried back out.

"I-I can't find it, Ojiisama!"

"What do you mean you can't find it!?" Romama growled. "It's right there!" he stumbled, leaning against the steps, panting heavily. The pain from the door was still writhing throughout him.

"I can't find it means that I can't find it!" Keroro exclaimed, and Romama gave a pained growl.

Romama then felt the pain subside as he was lifted up, and was now practically flying up the stairs. He looked up, and wide-eyed, saw a determined Aya rushing him up the stairs. She tripped once, but quickly corrected herself, bursting into the doorway and beginning to look throughout his apartment, Romama in her arms.

"It's right there!" he called out to her, pointing to a spot next to his bed. She set him down on the ground, and he crawled over to it, clicking on his crest on his bandanna again and hoping that it hadn't been too damaged when Horokohoro had hit him; both he and the sword transformed. He was back in his Pekoponian form, and the wooden blade was now a proper size for a Pekoponian to handle. "…Aya-chan…"

"They need you out there again! Hurry!" she replied back to Romama, who was only now starting to allow to sink in what had happened. She helped him to stand up, and then grabbed him by either side of the head and kissed him.

Romama's eyes were open the entire time of this. Keroro, who had run in to check on his uncle, stood there, slack-jawed.

"Good luck!" Aya said after breaking away from him, and Romama, still stunned, stumbled out, now forgetting about the pain.

"O-Ojiisama…?" Keroro asked as Romama stood out on the porch, his look blank. Without a word, Romama hopped onto the rail of the apartment, and jumped off, re-joining the fight.

And it had gone back to the house—Mora stood outside, watching worriedly. The newly smashed-in window a sign of where Rokiki and Horokohoro had entered. And there was no noise. This was what worried her the most.

Inside, Rokiki looked about for the other Sankaku tribesman, listening intently for any noise that could give away the warrior. He walked through the living room, his dagger drawn and all of his attention upon finding Horokohoro. His face lit up as he saw against one wall a longer blade, a Sankaku sword, put up for decoration. So she'd kept it. He even smiled a bit upon seeing this.

He was in the midst of prying this off the wall when he felt the cold stone of the scythe grip around his neck. Horokohoro gave a chuckle, and leaned inward to whisper to Rokiki.

"…We could take them together… If you do, you know taking over this planet, and then Keron, would be no problem. It would be payback for everything that they did to us… What's the saying here, an eye for an eye?"

"…You do that, you only end up with a lot of blind people in the end, Horokohoro," Rokiki answered, still remaining calm even with the blade against his neck. "…Times are different now. Things are different."

"People are still cruel!" Horokohoro barked, pulling the blade closer to Rokiki's neck.

"They always will be. That's why you just have to learn to accept it… And hope for them to change," Rokiki answered, and elbowed Horokohoro in the stomach. This winded the opposing Sankaku enough to when he tripped backwards, he also let go of his scythe. He spun around, now on the ground, clutching his stomach. Rokiki held out his dagger to Horokohoro.

"…Finish it, then…" Horokohoro demanded. "You didn't get those markings by being soft, now did you?"

"You have no place to bring up what I was forced to do," Rokiki snarled. "I'm going to summon others from the tribe, if they aren't already on their way to come and fetch you. I'll let the tribe decide what they want to do with you… As for me… It's not my place."

"Very well…" Horokohoro bowed his head down, and then began to laugh. "This place… It's made you soft… And stupid."

Rokiki raised his head, confused, and Horokohoro pulled out another dagger, one that had been concealed in his skirt belt. The purple Sankaku Keronian gave a yell and lunged for Rokiki, this time his blade making contact with the skin of the red Keronian, and cutting him across the shoulder. Rokiki gave a yell, and clutched onto his bleeding shoulder.  
Horokohoro laughed at this, and went to give another blow—Rokiki anticipated this, and shut his eyes tightly. No second slice came, only a loud thud! followed by the noise of something heavy hitting the ground.  
Rokiki opened his eyes, and Romama stood over him, his wooden sword over the collapsed Horokohoro.

"How did you…?"

"Ballet. It helps you learn how to make light steps," Romama answered.

"He'll have a nice spot right beside Gyororo in the base, that's for certain," Giroro said with a sigh as he looked over to the tied-up and still-fainted Horokohoro. He and Kirere had rushed over, as well as Fuyuki, Chandi, and Momoka, who all came from the Nishizawa Halloween party.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Chandi asked Mora again. They all sat in the living room of the totaled house, the lights now on and the extent of the damage evident.

The police had arrived but just as quickly left when Momoka's guards showed up. A gas leak, people had been hallucinating. Some had even become violent. This was the story that they gave to anyone who asked, and anyone who had been in the apartments and had seen the bizarre unfoldings of what had happened that night.

"I'm fine… The house, though…" Mora sighed and looked about, "…It's going to take a little time to repair…"

"Your family is welcome so stay at the Nishizawa residence as long as you need!" Momoka replied to the worried Mora and Chandi. "We can even have the occult club meetings there, if we need to move those!"

"Gero… I almost would have taken a boring night, now," Keroro said with a sigh, hanging his head. He looked across the house to the apartment complex; most of the lights in the apartments were on, full of people now talking about what had just happened, while there was one apartment that was darkened; this was Romama's. He had gone up there with Aya after the fighting had stopped, and everything had calmed down, and Keroro hadn't seen them since.

"Everything okay, Gunso?" Fuyuki asked.

"Gero? I think so, Fuyuki-dono," Keroro answered.

"I'll fix it all, don't worry," Rokiki reassured Mora. "I'm sorry for bringing something like this here to you and your daughter. I didn't mean for either of you to get hurt."

Mora worked on bandaging his shoulder, and noticed now that his hands shook as he spoke. He noticed this, and looked down at his hands, and then away.

"It… It's a sign of withdrawal, is all," he explained, embarrassed. He looked as though there was something else he wanted to say, but he couldn't quite choke it out. "I… I'm sorry…" he finally said, quietly, lowering his head.

"…What for?"

"You and everyone gave me nothing but chances… And I didn't see that… So I'm sorry."

"…Are you going to go back to your tribe now?" she stopped bandaging his arm long enough to glance up at him, and Rokiki thought for a moment.

"…This is my home now. I'm always welcome there, but… I like it here… Just, don't tell anyone else you heard me admit that…" he muttered. "Plus I have family here already. I… I guess this is me begging to come back."

"Well…" Mora looked away, unsure.

"You have to promise you won't pull anything like that again," Chandi knelt down in-between the two, and folded her arms. "She ought to smack you for leaving just like that. I know I would. You have to go get your job back at the garage, and fix this place up like you said you would. I'm not going to call you dad, even when you marry her, and you're going to marry her soon, and it's going to be a nice wedding, just like she's always wanted. And you're going to like it, even if you think stuff like that's too girly."

"W-What?!" Rokiki snapped, and flushed. "When did this turn into a business deal?! I just want to come back, is all!"

"—And when you two start having kids, I'm not sharing a room!" she concluded.

"Kids?! When the hell did we even…?!" he grit his teeth and grumbled. "…That doesn't sound all that bad, I guess."

"You can have your job back!" Kirere called out to him. He looked behind the couch and went red, remembering now that they weren't alone in the room.

"W-What're all of you looking at!?" Rokiki growled. It was clear he wasn't rid of his old personality or short fuse totally.

"I think that that all sounds all right," Mora said with a nod, and placed a hand on top of his. Giroro saw this, lifted up Kirere beneath his arm, and sighed.

"I can see we probably need to give you two some time to yourselves…"  
"Huh? But I didn't even tell him what time to come in tomorrow yet!" Kirere replied to her father, still being carried out more like a piece of luggage than a girl.

"Keroro, you take care of the prisoner," Giroro called out to his commanding officer.

"R-Really? Me?" Keroro muttered, and glanced over to where Horokohoro had been. "GERO!?" There remained only ropes where he had been laid.

"He escaped?!" Fuyuki exclaimed. Rokiki hopped off of the couch, and looked down at the pile of ropes, giving a sigh.

"He's too far for us to catch him by now… He'll be back, though," Rokiki reassured them. "And we'll be more than ready for him when that happens… No doubt the Sankaku will be after him, too…"

"So… You said you had a mother still alive?" Mora floated over to him, and Rokiki nodded. "I'd… Really like to meet her some time, if that's all right, Rokiki."

Momoka gave a gasp as she pulled out her cell phone and opened it, "…Looks like Tama-chan is sick from too much indulging in candy tonight… I have to get home and make sure he's all right!"

"I'll go back with you, Nishizawa-san," said Fuyuki.

"A-Are you sure, Fuyuki-kun? I wouldn't want to be a bother…"

"It's all right, I think that it'd be safer right now, anyway!" Fuyuki answered.

"Fuyuki-kun wants to protect me…?" she whispered as an aside to herself.

"Certainly! With all of those guards around, no rogue Keronian will be able to get through to Fuyuki-kun, or anybody, for that matter!" Keroro chimed in, and Momoka sighed, her chivalrous image of her love dented.

"Well, at least it'll be just him and me… That's still nice…" Momoka mumbled.

"Do you want to come along, Gunso?"

"Gero, definitely! J-Just to protect Fuyuki-dono, of course. It's my duty as a military man, after all!"

"I might tag along, too…" Chandi said with a roll of the eyes as she glanced over to Rokiki and Mora.

Momoka flinched. So there went that idea, too…

Romama stepped out of the shadows, now in his Keronian form once again.

"So… That's what you really look like, right?" Aya asked, and Romama nodded. She sat kneeling on the floor, while he took a seat in front of her, his legs crossed. She smiled and giggled, "You still have the same eyes!"

"Uh… Sorry…"

"No, it's fine!" she answered. "So, it's something like… Well, I have so many questions!"

Romama sighed; he definitely had one very big one to ask her.

"I… Guess they can wait until later, though," she added quietly, looking downward. "I'm just happy you're all right, Little Angel."

His face immediately reddened at being called this; if she'd only known his past, she wouldn't think of him as an angel.

"My real name's Romama," he explained to her, and she nodded. "But… You can call me either, I guess… Aya-chan, why did you…?"

"Oh! That… That was so unlike me, but… I just thought how much I'd regret not doing that if I didn't see you again," she answered. "At that point I guess my common sense sort of left me…"

"I understand," he nodded. In reality, he really didn't. There was still something she was wanting to say to him, that was obvious.

"…I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable at all. I'd still like to be friends, if that's all right!" she stuttered, brushing her hair back and revealing the hearing aides. She quickly grew self-conscious of these, and put her hair back to where it had been.

"…That'd be really nice, Aya-chan," Romama nodded in agreement.

"…Things aren't going to be the same now, are they?" Aya asked quietly.

"I… I guess not," Romama replied. "But… That can be a good thing…"

Aya pulled out her phone and glanced over it, reading the message, "…My mother."

"Is everything all right?" he stood and walked over to her, and looked down at the phone's screen.

"She's fine, just staying the night at a friend's," Aya answered, and looked up at Romama. "Well… Maybe now you can answer some of my questions?"

"I guess this would be as good a time as any," he answered, sitting beside her. "…It started when I decided to cheat on a test for the first time in my life…"

"How's that?" Rokiki asked, placing the final nail over the plywood that hid the gaping hole that once had been the front window of the home.

"That looks great!" Mora exclaimed cheerfully, and Rokiki sighed.

"…You don't have to compliment me. It's unnerving," he muttered.

"…Well, it is a little crooked, now that you mention it…"

"That's better," he replied, vanishing to put away his hammer and returning.

"…Do you think he'll really be back? That other Keronian?" Mora asked, clearly worried.

"…He will. But like I said, he won't be a problem," Rokiki answered. "All Horokohoro has is anger… I can't say I blame him for it, but he won't get far with it. We've got an army of morons, but they'll make sure he won't get far… And I personally won't allow for it. I promise."

And outside, from a tree, Horokohoro heard this through the gaps in the plywood. He only snorted at this and shook his head.

"…I used to look up to you… Now you've just gone soft, Rokiki…" Horokohoro whispered to himself. "…I'll still get my revenge on what's been done to us in the past, even if you choose to forget it… And I'll make you pay for your betrayal, even if it means going against my own tribe in the process… They'll see I was right not to trust you…"

He jumped off of the tree, and vanished into the Halloween night.

Hope you liked, and thank you again, Rien, this was super-fun, I had a great time with this!


	63. Mahihi and Daisy: A First Meeting! Pt1

Urk, missed the Christmas mark, again ^^;; Too far to go back, now, but I'll have to do one next Christmas. S-Sorry, everyone XD; Hopefully this is still a good one for you. This is an episode I've been wanting to make for a while now, anyhow :D

Episode 31  
Mahihi and Daisy: A First Meeting!  
Part 1

"K-Kirere, put that down!" Giroro called out from the front porch of the older wooden house, and Mahihi laughed.

"Ohhh, let the kid have some fun, Aka Baka! It's part of a kid growing—BUDDY! Put that crab down, NOW!" he shouted out to his son, and then sat back and sighed. "…Growing up… Just like having to tell them when they're acting up to knock it off is part of being a parent. Never really easy…"

"Thank you again for allowing us to come visit you and your family… Kirere enjoys coming out here when she can... And I occasionally need trips in order to keep myself sane… With Keroro's antics and all, it's important for a soldier to try anything to keep his wits in line."

"Ah, I don't mind it any! I like it—Daisy's usually working so much these days, I get a little lonely, haha! It's good to have you both over!" he patted Giroro on the back and smiled. "BUDDY! Down now! I mean it!" he shouted out to his son once more.

"….You're good with them," Giroro nodded. "You keep an effective household here, Mahihi. I only wish we had you back on the Keron forces… There wouldn't be half as many slackers let in as there are now."

"Hahaha, I don't think they want us back… And, it's all Daisy, don't let me fool ya!" Mahihi laughed. "She's always been good at stuff like that… Even before she met me, she was running the household all on her own…"

"How… How did you two meet, anyway? I have a slight idea about it, but you've never really said all the much about it, truth be told."

"No, no I really haven't, have I?!" he smiled pleasantly and laughed. "You looking for ideas of your own?"

Giroro's face went bright red, "W-What?! N-No, nothing like that! I'm just a bit curious, is all!"

"Curious, yeah… Well… I guess I can trust you… Like most everyone else, I was ejected from the main ship through my emergency pod, washed up on shore, and then stayed there in suspended animation for… Well, the way I figured it, when I woke up, it was 1996 in Pekoponian years… From what I can guess, a coconut fell on top of my pod, and, bam, out I went… I was on what I thought was an uninhabited island, but it wasn't too long until I found signs of life… An old radio outpost. Wasn't too bad, I mean, it's how I picked up the Pekoponian language, through the radio… They had an old projector, too. Once I figured out how to work that, I had all the movies I could ever want…. From 1967 and earlier… And it was like that for years, and it wasn't a bad life…"

"What happened, then?"

"Well, same thing that happens to anyone who's surrounded by years of peace, tranquility, and quiet… I got freaking bored with it!" Mahihi laughed.

"Breaker 1-9, this is Mahi Mahi… Hozit goin' over there on your end?" Mahihi spoke into the old black speaker of the radio, and waited a response. Sand covered the floor of the old shack, and along with it, magazines and many a hallow coconut shell. Old boxes made furniture, and a sheet hung on one wall, the projector at the opposite end of it. He himself swung back and forth lazily in a homemade hammock, awaiting a response. Nothing. He heaved a sigh and hopped out of his hammock. Looked as though there would be no company for today…

He'd long lost count of the days he'd been living in the little shack… He'd used to carve out the days by making notches in the doorway… But he'd run out of room, and instead had one scarred up wooden doorway. He lifted up one of the old magazines, and turned it around until he was able to see the image correctly. He grabbed his knife and went back to work…  
Propped up on two homemade sawhorses, the surfboard was nearly finished… It would join the pile that was already behind him. This would be his 60th board.

A few hours of this, and then lunchtime… He almost grimaced at the thought of this… Either fish or coconuts, he had his choice. He knocked at the palm tree, and caught the coconut in hand—He remembered when it was a much smaller tree. He plopped down on the beach and held on to the coconut… And then proceeded to throw it into the water.

"Damn things… If I never see another one, it'll be too soon!" he screamed, gripped his head, and collapsed down on the sand. He gave another yell of frustration, and bolted up, pacing about like a madman. "…I've gotta get out of here… They always said stay in one spot and wait for your group to get you, but… It's been years…. I… I'm gonna go nuts if I'm here another day! Maybe… Maybe they're not coming? Maybe… Nah… But… They'd be able to find me pretty easy, right? How big could this place be?"

He sat up, and looked behind him…. It looked immense, in all of the dense greenery.

Today would be the day. He nodded, and stuck his knife in the belt of his outfit, and then collected supplies… Mainly smoked fish and the dreaded coconuts, not much else. He placed these in a bag, and then headed out. "…Got to remember… Keep out of sight of the enemy… Just watch, that's all…" he muttered to himself, and nodded. "…The trek could be long, so I've got to keep that in mind. I might now make it out alive… But if it means no more coconuts… It'll be worth the risk."

And he began his trek through the heavy woods, leaving his outpost for the first time in over a decade…. These forests were dense, and could go on for days, weeks… Months, maybe? Who knew what would be in store for him…

A few yards of walking, and already a clearing.

And as he saw it was a busy highway…. Mahihi gave a shout and a string of curses loud enough to be heard from a great distance away, and he kicked at a nearby tree. He felt and heard the bones in his foot crack, and moments later, a coconut landed on his head, knocking him out cold.

The night had passed and the morning had come again when Mahihi finally came to. He grabbed a nearby branch, and continued off. At least the traffic was better, now, although his head was killing him…

He was still woozy from the knock on the head, and recognized this as a slight concussion.

"Great…. I finally leave… And… There was someone here already… And I'm gonna die now from a coconut. Great," he muttered, his voice a bit slurred. He stopped, then, after a bit of walking—Even with all that happened to him, he remembered that smell fondly…. Something freshly baked. His stomach immediately growled, craving the change from the usual fish and coconuts.

He approached the outpost with caution—A shoddy dwelling, white paint, but still bigger and better than his… Brightly colored objects left out on the front lawn… One of his radio buddies had mentioned it—It was a tell-tale sign of the young and more agile aliens. He would have to be on-guard for them…. Now was the time to use his crest, if ever. It only worked half the time, so he used it wisely… He spied the pies resting out on the windowsill, and knew this was one of those times…

"Goodbye, fish…" he said with a cheery grin, seemingly forgetting about his pain. "Hello, gorgeous."

"We love having you home, Mama!" came a voice from inside. Mahihi stopped for a moment, just underneath the window, and held his breath.

"I'm only here because you kept scaring off the babysitter!" came a slightly older-sounding voice. "They called Mama at work and told her that if she didn't come home they'd send you three to juvie!"

"We said we were sorry!" a third voice. How many were there?! Crying, now, and a fourth voice had joined. Mahihi shuddered at the loudness of it all, and reached for the pie… He had a rescue mission to undertake.

"Go clean up your toys outside—If you're going to send the babysitters running out of here screaming, they're not going to trip while they do it!"

Two sighs, and the creak of a screen door opening, followed by the tell-tale "smack!" of it closing automatically behind whoever it was. One—No, two! Two sets of feet! Mahihi crouched down, but only now remembered his injured foot, and gave a yell of pain. He immediately slapped his hands over his mouth and slunk into the shadows, trying his best to blend in with the dark-green leaves of the potted plants on the front porch.

He saw them, two young humans—Rushing down and beginning to pick up their toys…. And Mahihi remembered; he was invisible to them, and, from the looks of it, they hadn't noticed his yell, instead focusing on their playthings.

He gave a sigh of relief, and hobbled closer to them to get a good look—He'd only heard their voices and seen their pictures, but he'd never seen a real one before… He stood beside the little girl, who busied herself with a wild-haired doll of some sort. The little girl glanced over to him, and then did a double-take. She stood there, her eyes making contact with his for a moment, and then she held out her doll to him.

"The brush is stuck in her hair! Fix it!" she demanded.

"M-Me?! Do I look like your babysitter?! W-Wait! You… You can see me?!" he took a step back in shock. But how…?

"Yeah! Now fix it!" she answered, keeping the doll out in front of her steadily.

Mahihi looked down at the doll, up at her, and down at the doll. He then snapped it out of her hands, took out his pocket knife, and cut out the brush from the hair, "There, now it's out!"

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, and she gave a yell, "NO! Now it's ugly! Make it better!"

"Make it—What in the hell is this thing, anyway!?" Mahihi huffed. "What do you want me to do with it?!"

"It's not even! Her hair's ugly!" she yelled and stomped her foot, and Mahihi sighed and rolled his eyes. He took out his knife again, and evened up the hair, and passed it back to her.

"Better?..."

"Yes! Now, here!" she tossed a stuffed toy to him, and sat down on the ground. "You can play him! They're at a party together, and I'm the princess!"

"W-What?! No!"

"MOMMY!" the little girl yelled.

"What? Mommy? Shush! No! No! Okay, you win!" Mahihi gave a huff and sat down on the ground uneasily, and held out the doll. "…What do we do with this thing?"

And while this happened, he became aware of the other child, who was poking at his tattoo on his left arm. Mahihi snapped his head over to the boy, already becoming short of nerve.

"….What can I do for you, kid?"

"Why you draw that on your arm?" he poked at the tattoo.

"I didn't."

"How it get on there, then?"

"Magic," he turned back to the older child, "Now how…?"

He was unprepared as the tall toddler lifted him up and began to carry him underneath the arms, not much unlike one of the little girl's dolls.

"Mama! Mama! Magic! He magic!" the little boy exclaimed, while Mahihi wriggled in his grasp. He was in the house, now, and it took a moment for the tall human woman to turn away from her laundry to see what her son had brought in.

"Buddy!" the little girl stomped in. "We were playing! You're not being fair! Mama, tell him he's not being fair!"

"Puppy!" another child, this one even younger than the last, clapped her hands together at the sight of the struggling Mahihi.

"Buddy, Violet, you share with—" Daisy turned around, and her eyes went wide. The scream took a moment to form in her mouth, but until then, only a squeak came out. And then came the scream. And next thing he knew, both the house's broom and skillet were weapons of Daisy's. A few blows, and he was out cold.

He woke up under a laundry basket, with a cinder block placed atop of it to prevent his escape, "…I just wanted something to eat…" he bemoaned in his native language.

He looked to his left, and saw the three children staring down at the basket, all in a straight line. Some help they were being, he thought with a curse… And he was able to see the feet of the older human, and he heard a clicking noise. This made him go into panic—He knew this noise all too well, being a former weapons expert.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" he begged, the basket kicking up in a panic. "Please don't shoot!"

"It… It's talking…" Daisy gulped. "Oh… Oh my God… It's talking…"

"Mama don't hurt him! He fixed my doll!" cried the oldest child, holding out her doll.

"Violet… Take your brother and sister and go stand outside. I'll tell you when to come back in. Do it! Now!" she barked, and Violet, crying, lifted up the youngest child, took her brother by the hand, and hurried out of the house. It was nearly nighttime again… He must've been out for a while… And he just had to wake up the moment she'd finally found her gun.

Daisy cautiously kicked off the cinder block and then jumped back as Mahihi kicked off the basket and sat up on the floor, looking down the barrel. Her hands were shaking, and Mahihi's eyes were focused on her… And the gun… And he looked into her eyes, and then shut his own tightly.

"Just do whatever you're going to do already!" Mahihi snapped… He was shaking, he could feel it… Was he… He actually a little afraid, even after everything he'd been through? This was scaring him?

He didn't hear a shot, though. He heard the heavy breathing of the human woman, and then the sound of the gun being placed on the coffee table. He opened his eyes ever-so-slightly, and saw she was approaching him.

"…Your foot's broken…" she said quietly, noting his oddly-bent foot. "I did that?"

"I… I did… But… I think you broke my arm."

"How did you…?"

"I… I got mad at a tree…" he answered, blushing a little. She snorted a laugh at this, although it was still an uneasy one.

"You can stay here tonight, but you're out in the morning. My children will be in my room with me, so if you try to hurt them, I'll use that gun on you and not miss," Daisy warned Mahihi. "I still can't believe this…. But if I can believe in island spirits, what's so strange about one in my house? Still…"

He sat on the couch, bandaged up, now, and in his lap the empty metal tin that had been one of the pies… It'd been completely cleaned out, and all by himself and his fork. He only gave a sleepy nod at this, and laid back—She'd laid out several comforters as well as a pillow for him. And he was fat and happy enough to agree to anything at that moment; he even felt more prepared to be shot.

"Thank you… Um… What do I call you?"

"Daisy. Like the flower."

"I'll take your word for it," he yawned and rolled over, stretching his good arm.

"What's your name?"

"Mahihi," he answered, and he could almost hear her disbelief.

"…Like the fish?"

"Again… I'll take your word for it…" maybe he was getting a little too comfortable, but this was pretty nice…. He'd never had a bed this cushy, or if he had, it was a long, long time ago.

"…Goodnight. I'm watching you," Daisy reminded him, and shut the light off in the living room. Mahihi was about ready to drift off to sleep when he felt someone's eyes behind him—He rolled over, and saw her there again. The oldest girl, her doll in hand. The same one with the new haircut that Mahihi had given it.

"You can borrow her so you don't get scared. It gets dark and scary in here," she said to him, placing the doll beside him.

"You don't think I'm scary enough to scare away any monsters?" he asked, giving another yawn and showing the sharp teeth for the first time.

"You can do that?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, sure," Mahihi muttered, yawning.

"Okay, then… You protect her, okay?" she kissed him on the forehead and then headed toward her mother's bedroom, "Good night!"

He was quiet a moment, taking this in, and then rolled over and mumbled, "Yeah…. 'night…."

In the morning, Daisy sprung up in bed, becoming too-quickly aware of the smells coming from the kitchen. She looked about, and saw none of the children in the bedroom, only spots of twisted blankets where they had been. She went into a panic, her over-protective parent senses telling her that the strange little green monster whose life she'd saved was cooking the children.

Instead, she found Mahihi on a stool, at the stove. And at the table (save for the youngest, who was seated quite contently in her high chair) were the children, eating what looked to be a heavy breakfast, including eggs, pancakes, and bacon.

"I found an old recipe book on one of the shelves… This isn't too different from my parents' old kitchen, so I was able to figure it out all right," Mahihi explained, turning around to Daisy. He looked almost comical, now, out of his uniform and in one of the children's bright red craft aprons. "I… I made coffee, too. Violet showed me how."

"We helped him!" Violet exclaimed.

"We helpers!" Buddy added.

And Mahihi looked Daisy over, and saw for the first time her hair was out of the tight ponytail… He wasn't sure why he was transfixed on this for the moment, but he shook his head and turned back to his cooking. "There…. There's more, if you're hungry…" he added, pushing a bowl of eggs over in her direction.

"No, thanks…. I have to get to work and still find them a babysitter," Daisy shook her head.

"Let him, Mama!" Buddy looked up from his food, and Mahihi and Daisy both looked equally stunned and horrified by this prospect.

"N-Nah, I've… Gotta be getting back soon, anyway," Mahihi answered. "I've… Gotta check on my hermit crab… It'll get lonely without me… Plus if my place had a door I wouldn't be sure if I'd locked it."

"Pleeeeeassseeee? Please please please please PLEASE?! He'll be fun!" Violet exclaimed. "And he can scare away monsters!"

"Yeah, Mama, PLEASE?!" Buddy joined in.

"I… I can't… I…" Mahihi was shaking his head, motioning for her to go on and make a plausible story, and Daisy finally sighed with defeat. "…We've been through every babysitter in the book… You're the first one that they actually want them to look after… So… I guess…. As weird as this is…"

"That… That'd be a bad idea, I think… I-I mean, you don't even know me!" Mahihi laughed. "I… I could be a… Really… Scary warrior, for all you know! I… I have sharp teeth, and tattoos! What kind of babysitter is that?!"

"…I don't have a choice, at this point. It's that, or I lose my job. I can't miss any more work," Daisy sighed with such a tone of desperation that Mahihi actually felt bad for her…. Felt bad for someone who wasn't himself. It was a weird feeling and made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

"I… I'll take good care of them, then. You… You don't have anything to worry about," Mahihi answered. She looked nice with her hair down like that… He was just as stunned that he'd subconsciously thought this as he was when he realized he'd allowed for his hand to slip on a hot burner. He gave a yowl, and the children giggled. Daisy gave a sharp sigh, feeling at the end of her rope.

A long, long day at the recording studio…. She practically dragged herself out of her car… Her voice was sore, and she was emotionally and mentally exhausted from the previous night's events.

Her first hint that something was amiss was the lack of toys in the front yard, and the fact that the plants, which had all been neglected, were neatly trimmed and even looked watered…. And when she walked inside… The house was clean. Dinner was on the table. A slight gust could've knocked her over then.

"Surprise!" the three children jumped out from beneath the couch, and Daisy jumped back, still nearly speechless.

"What…. What's this…?! Did… Did you three do this?!"

"Mahihi showed us!" Violet answered.

"He say his Mama make him clean a lot!" Buddy added.

"Puppy!" exclaimed Lily, arms, waving in the air.

"Where… Where is he, anyway…?" Daisy took a few more steps into the house, and Mahihi walked out, not even attempting to hide his embarrassment as he looked down at the outfit he'd been dressed in… One of those loud, awful shirts…

"It's Buddy's!" Violet exclaimed, pushing the Keronian forward.

"You… You really let them walk over you, don't you?" Daisy giggled a little.

"I feel like a jerk…" Mahihi said beneath his breath.

"Huh?" Violet leaned in, and Mahihi yelped.

"Y-You guys did a lot of hard work!" he answered quickly. "I-It looks great! Your mom should be proud of you!"

Daisy walked into the house, and Mahihi walked by her side as they headed to the dining room table, "How did you—"

"I made a game out of it," Mahihi answered. "My parents used to do it with me and my brother, so who could get more cleaned faster…. Sorta a… Use competition to get what you want type of deal."

A dinner shared together, the indignity of having to pile phone books up in order to eat dinner, and then Daisy putting the kids to bed. And Mahihi sat in the living room, flipping through the channels on the television… He had no idea something like this had existed on the planet the entire time! Hundreds of channels… Nothing really on, but the fact he had the option was the best part of it!

Daisy took a seat on the couch next to him, and he stopped flipping through the channels briefly, giving her his attention.

"Thank you again, for today, Mahihi. For not eating my kids, and all…"

"I figured you'd kick my ass if I'd so much as made them a little upset, not that I'd do anything like that."

Daisy looked at him sideways, "I would've murdered you."

"I can appreciate that in a woman," Mahihi answered, and gulped just as quickly as he did. "W-What I mean is… Like, in a soldier!"

"So you're military…"

"Y-Yeah… Well, I was… I was separated from my teammates… We were sent on an expedition trip… Things didn't… Really go as planned, though…"

"So… You're an alien. Great. I thought that just happened in Roswell," Daisy sighed. "Of all of the luck… I ask God for a bag of money to fall from the sky, and I get an alien. How come you're speaking English, not some weird alienese?"

"Alien… What? Just picked it up. Had the time to. This thing would make it a lot easier, having a translator in it and all, but it's damaged and I haven't had the tools to fix it," he pointed to his crest. "Or the reason to, in all honesty… Well, this has been fun! I guess I'll see you around next time I'm in the mood to get the crap beaten out of me!"

"Wait," Mahihi had scarcely slid off the couch when he heard Daisy behind him. "…The kids have never been this well-behaved for someone who wasn't me, even if you're a weirdo alien.…. I was wondering if you might watch them tomorrow? I can pay you if you want."

"No real use for money," Mahihi answered. He would have to hurry out of here, quickly, before she got any other ideas. "Thanks for the shirt and the memories. I've gotta be heading back, now."

"I'll make sure you're fed," she added. This got his attention. Mahihi stopped and hobbled around, clearly thinking this idea over.  
And the next morning, Daisy went off to work, and Mahihi was again alone with the children. The two older ones played out on the front lawn, while he sat on the steps, whittling away at a small bit of wood. He'd gotten quite good at things like this in his time by himself.

The little toddler was rolling about behind him, and stopped, patting him on top of the head, "Good puppy!"

"Not puppy! Mahihi! MAH-HEE-HEE!" Mahihi snapped back, but she was already focusing on something different, and this was a feather that had fallen onto the porch. She now poked at it with intent curiosity, and Mahihi sighed and went back to his whittling. "…How'd I get wrapped up in this? I'm going to be going soft before I know it…" he grumbled.

Too late… Violet and Buddy had grown bored, and he was again the center of attention.

"What're you making?" asked Violet.

"Not sure yet," Mahihi answered, doing his best not to let the children disrupt his work.

"Why you short?" Buddy asked, sitting down on the porch step next to him.

"S-Short?! Short?! I was always the tallest in my class! You're all the giant freaks here, not me!"

"What's it like where you're from? Did you have a girlfriend?"  
Mahihi snapped his head to Violet, "N-No, nothing like that, really… And it was from a place really, really far away."

"As far as China?" asked Violet.

"Even farther…. At least three times," he looked up and saw he had the wide-eyed attention of the two older children, and even Lily had stopped her rolling around to listen to him. "…It was full of people like me… I had parents there. They were bakers."

"Could they bake as good and Mama can?" she continued.

"No way!" Buddy replied quickly, shaking his head of dark-brown hair wildly in protest.

"I… I guess they were about even," Mahihi admitted, and set aside his project. "…I came from a place called Keron. It was… Sort of like this, but we didn't have any beaches, and no real mountains, either…."  
And he continued with the story of Keron, and stories that kept all of the group busy for the entire afternoon, until the sun was deciding to set.

"They were complete angels for you yet again, I see," Daisy poked her head into the bedroom the three children shared, and then looked back into the living room to Mahihi—He sat with a large bowl of rice, and atop the rice, a familiar and infamous canned meat product.

"Mm… Yeah… What's this stuff called? It's great!" he exclaimed, taking another bite of the Spam. "There's more this, right?"

"Careful about eating so much, you'll get fat!"

"I'd rather be that then starving! What's it with all of the starving-looking actors on the shows here? They don't get enough money for food?"

"…You're so weird…" Daisy sighed. "But you work for cheap, and I can't argue with that. That's the style, is all."

"If not eating stuff like this is unfashionable, I can live with that!" Mahihi laughed, finishing off his bowl. It was only now he noticed the concerned look on Daisy's face, and he set his bowl on the coffee table. "Um… Listen, I… I know you don't know me too well, but… If there's something on your mind… I'm not a smart guy, but I'm not a bad listener, either."

"No. It's fine," she shook her head, and brushed her hair out of her face. When she did this, Mahihi temporarily lost track of what he'd wanted to say. Why, he wasn't too sure.

"Okay… Goodnight, then," he nodded, and she disappeared into her room, the same upsetting expression on her face.

Mahihi stood up and looked about, to exercise his foot as well as do a bit of investigating…. It didn't take him long to figure out what the problem most likely was… The stack of envelopes was on the coffee table, looking foreboding and with the phrase "PAST DUE" stamped on the front. He shuffled through these, losing count after the first few.

…He knew he had an obligation to his military… And by doing things like this, he was losing track of it all… But she'd shown him kindness… Save for when she'd screamed at him, beaten him up, nearly shot him, and then continued to threaten his life…

…Well, the kids weren't so bad, at least.

"All of this, and she still offered to pay me," he sighed and rubbed his eyes; his head was starting to ache, and not from the leftover concussion. He shook his head and climbed onto the couch, "Mannn… Well, not like there's anything I could do. Best to get some sleep."

He could almost hear his mother's admonishment, though, just as quickly as he said this. He tossed and turned in bed until he couldn't stand it anymore, and then he bolted up from his sleep and headed to the dining room table, grumbling the entire time. And after a bit of searching in the garage, shed, and kitchen, he found what he needed. He went to work repairing his crest—If it had any of the power he'd been told, it would prove integral in helping him.

After opening, and spending a few hours repairing it, he found, much to his shock and quickly anger, that the device's insides would not fit neatly back into his oval-shaped crest. Instead, he had to settle on the pendant he'd carved earlier in the day, fixing it so that the tiny object would fit in and still be useful.

"Now… Hopefully this'll do it…" he looked over his handiwork proudly, and nodded. This had to work… There was no room for failure. He'd been shown kindness, and was now planning on returning it, even if it meant finding a way to help with the mound of bills.


	64. Mahihi and Daisy: A First Meeting! Pt2

Episode 31  
Mahihi and Daisy: A First Meeting!  
Part 2

On to part two! :D

Daisy awoke that morning to not a strange smell, but a strange noise. A pair of footsteps that weren't her children's, but much heavier. She bolted up in bed, but cursed as she'd forgotten where she'd stored all of the pieces of her gun in the household… She'd taken extra care to find proper hiding spaces since the arrival of their new "guest" and in the excitement she herself had forgotten where she'd placed everything.

She looked to her left, and noticed Buddy's old aluminum baseball bat. She'd taken it from him when he'd hit out one of the windows to the shed… And now it was her weapon.

She crept out of her room, knowing just where to stand on the old wooden floor as to not make a noise. She was right—She wasn't alone, and the intruder had his back turned to her. He was a tall man, over six feet... Probably closer to seven? He was broad-shouldered and a bit husky, with dark skin, a shade similar to her own. He had on a loud Hawaiian shirt with a print that Daisy recognized from… Somewhere, but couldn't place her finger on it… As well as khaki shorts and sandals. It definitely wasn't usual burglar attire... His hair was shaggy, and looked almost a dark green color… And he hummed as he busied himself in front of the dining room table.

A single creak. Daisy gulped, and the man spun around quickly, his bright blue eyes going wide in the shock of being caught. Daisy gave a yell and a wild swing, and he grabbed her arms just in time to save himself a blow to the face.

"D-Daisy! Stop! I-It's me, Mahihi, r-really!" he exclaimed, and she tilted her head in confusion.

"W-What?"

"Y-Yeah! I know… This has got to be a little confusing and all, but trust me, I'm me!" he answered hurriedly. She looked into his eyes, and relaxed a bit, standing back and looking him over. His arms still held on to hers, but she broke away from him as soon as she realized this. "...I-I thought I'd surprise you and the kids, is all…"

"But... But how...?"

"Old military tech. We had the cloaking devices in there, I didn't know if it'd work for any species here, but... Clearly, yeah..."

"What is this?" she looked over the table, and saw, among other things, a few new toys, a cake, and a large white envelope.

"The toys are for them, but… This is for you," he held out the envelope, albeit a good distance away from her, just in case. She was still holding the bat, afterall, and he eyed this cautiously.

Her eyes widened as she opened it—A large stack of bills. She immediately frowned and threw it at his chest, "I don't want something you stole! Now take it back to wherever you got it from!" she demanded.

"I-I didn't steal it!" he snapped in shock. "I just took some of the old surfboards I made down to a shop! They sold ten of them already, and they're offering to pay me more of that stuff if I make more for them! So, is… That enough?"

"Enough for…?"

"Well, you know, to keep your house and stuff."

Daisy gulped hard at this, and she shook a bit in the pure embarrassment of him finding this out, muchless trying to do something about it, "I can provide for my family. I don't want you butting in here, thinking you need to save me or my children from something, because there's nothing we need help with."

"Now you and I both know that's not the truth, there's a huge stack of bills over there! Listen, it's okay, my old man had to borrow money to keep his bakery open a couple of times, but you don't have to worry, you guys can keep that! And if you need more, I've got more boards I made to sell. That's like… All I had to do for a while, really. I don't really have any use for this money stuff, but you guys need it."

"I don't need your money, and I don't want it. I've gotten along fine enough this long without you, or any man, from any... Planet... Universe... Thing... You're from... And I'll keep doing just fine!"

"Would you quit being so damned proud about this?! Part of the reason I got into half the trouble I did is because I was being too proud! Now, listen, it wasn't exactly a joy for me to have to break down and admit that I messed up in taking this assignment, but I had to come to that fact when I was about three years into eating coconut every day! Trust me, you don't want to get to that point! So… Just take it, all right? For the kids. And I'll leave you alone after that!" he snapped and stormed away from her… And right into the top of the doorway at the front door.

"One, or three?" asked the optometrist.

"Three," Mahihi answered with a defeated sigh. A few more go-arounds with this… A dilation of the eyes… And he was set with new glasses. In his dramatic storming out (and in combination with still getting used to the new body, and therefore forgetting he was now tall enough to where he had to duck down when approaching any doorways) he'd managed to damage his eyes to the point that the glasses would be necessary, now.

And he walked out, giving a small glare to Daisy as he glanced over his glasses. She gave a slightly apologetic smile, but the black eye he'd given himself made it hard to not chuckle at least a little. And the three children sat around her, still taking in the tall human that their friend had become.

"They said it might go back to normal, but the chances are slim," he sighed.

"They don't look bad on you… Are you going to need glasses when you're… Well, you?"

"More than likely, but I have no clue if there's any other aliens here or not... It's not like I can get some glasses in Keronian-size," he answered. "I mean, it was a few years ago that we only found out about this place…. The chances that they'll be friendly aren't that great…"

"Well, you could always go back to your planet, right?" she whispered.

He growled, "Yeah, I'll just hop on the A-line!"

Daisy returned just as fiercely, "Don't talk like that in front of the kids!"

The store door opened, a little bell signaling this. And in front of them was an older, white-haired woman, surprisingly dressed up, given the warm weather. She bent down and smiled at the children, who looked back at her with equal interest.

"My, aren't you three simply precious? Your mother and father must really take great care of you for you all to be so beautiful!" she said in her refined accent, which Daisy immediately placed as English.

"You talk funny," Buddy giggled.

"Do I really now?" she gasped, and stood. "They're adorable! Quite smart, too!"

"T-They aren't mine, honest," Mahihi held up his hands, and Daisy nudged him in the ribs at this. "Ow! What?!"

The old woman smiled at this, and gave a chuckle, "Well, you don't have to be blood family to be a family… You have an odd accent yourself, sir. What is that? I'm afraid I can't quite place it."

"Well, it's… That is…"

"Okinawan. He's from Okinawa," Daisy answered quickly, placing a hand on the back of Mahihi's neck and daring him to say different.

"Okinawa! My, that is a beautiful place!" she nodded. "Well! I won't keep you any longer. I just came in to find some things for my daughter… And it seems as though I came to the wrong spot! Dear, me…. Things like this are bound to happen in old age. Please, forgive my stopping you, I'll be on my way, now."

She gave another smile, and then turned away from the group. She looked back, making eye contact with Mahihi once, briefly, and then was gone. For some reason, he felt a small chill.

"Tourists," Daisy sighed, and lifted up Lily. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Eh? Wait a second," Mahihi took Daisy by the shoulders, and looked her in the face. "You're wearing makeup?"

"...Just when I go out."

"She says we make her look old 'cause she worries about us so much!"

"V-Violet!"

"It looks good on you! Well… What I mean is… Nevermind," he let go of her and shook his head… He was trying to wonder exactly what he did mean. He only shuddered because the comment which he'd meant to be nice instead came out sounding so creepy.

"So what happened to your husband? That's… If you don't mind my asking. You don't have to answer if you don't want to," they were alone on the front porch now, the children all having gone to bed. After putting money in the bank, and writing out the checks, Daisy sat on the front porch beside him, and, in Mahihi's hands was a "thank-you" cup of coffee, although she didn't call it this. This much of her pride she clung onto.

"He's not in the picture, is all," she looked downward, and was quiet for a moment, the crickets the only noise around them. "…He ran off with one of those "actress" types you see on the TV, and a year later he died in an accident."

"Wow... Why would he do that to you? And the kids? Especially the kids!"

"What, they don't have people like that where you were from?"

"Well, yeah, but… I was never around them. I was a guy who knocked out the teeth of guys like that!"

"I wish you'd been around a little earlier, then," she chuckled, and sipped her coffee.

"A nice lady like you… Doesn't make sense…"

"Nice? You're part-blind because of me!"

"Yeah, well… No one's perfect? It was my fault for getting pissed like that and storming off, anyway. Old bad habit of mine. And you take great care of the kids, anyone who's like that can't be that bad! ...So... Who're you seeing now?"

"No one, and that's how it's going to stay. I have enough time focusing on the kids, I don't have time for things like that. I have too much responsibility around here."

Mahihi, for the first time, wondered if he had any responsibilities…. If he'd ever had any… And he shuddered inwardly as he came to the realization, that, even at his age, no, not really… At least not outside of the battlefield, maybe occasionally Rokiki… But nothing like what she had to put up with.

"Well… I'll take you out, some time, if you want!"

Oh God, oh God, what had he just said? His smile immediately fell. He was waiting for a smack, or the coffee thrown into his face. He knew it was coming, he just knew it.

Daisy only gave a small, amused smile, and stood, "Goodnight, Mahihi."

"Yeah… 'night…" he muttered, and shook his head after she'd gone inside.

It wasn't too long before he walked into the house, changed back into his original form, and curled up on the couch, still trying to sort things out.  
Another tapping on the shoulder. He was almost getting used to this, now. He was getting used to too much. He rolled over, and saw it was the youngest, Lily.

"…Can I help you?" he asked wearily.

She shook her head, reached up on her tip-toes, and kissed him on the forehead, "Goodnight, Daddy!"

She then toddled off to bed, and Mahihi spent most of the rest of the night, staring up at the ceiling, and reeling over what the little girl had said.

The way he looked at it, he had two options. He stood out on the front lawn, looking back and the house, and then to the woods. The sun was only coming up, now, and he had yet to get any decent sleep.

He had a crush on Daisy. He'd allowed himself to admit this much. She was strong, and could do for herself. He liked that about her. She could also be nice, when she wanted or wasn't beating the crap out of him. He also liked this about her…. The strong part, not the beating the crap out of part. So it was a crush. No harm in that. But… He couldn't let it get past that, could he?

Getting more involved in that, that would mean having to do more than making surfboards for fun… He'd probably have to do it for work, a job. A non-military job, something he'd always dreaded the idea of. It would also mean taking care of the kids more. If things progressed enough, they'd become his kids, too.

"A Keronian and a human?" he said to himself in disbelief. He'd said this several times already, as if he was getting a feel for the concept and the phrase.

Who knew if she'd even be interested? He could very well screw up the one chance he had at having friends on this planet… Still, the thought of her dating someone made him feel ill, for one reason or another. If he knew how to gauge her feelings, this might be easier. He just as quickly remembered her saying how she didn't need anyone. But did she mean it, or was she trying to protect herself? And what would his platoon say if they caught wind of this? It didn't really matter much to him when it came to most of them, but, Rokiki... Mad as he was, his brother's opinion still mattered to him somewhat.

"Mahihi?" he turned around, and Daisy opened the screen door, and stepped, tilting her head with confusion. "Are you okay? Are you waiting for… Alien signals or something?"

"No, just… I… I've gotta go for a little while," he stuttered, and broke off into as much of a run as his un-casted but still aching foot would allow him.

And he ran, ignoring the confused calls Daisy gave out to him, and he continued running, until he was back at his old shack. He'd missed the place so much…. He could almost stay here, and no one would ever know it.

Coconuts weren't so bad, really, were they?

He stopped just short of his shelter as he noticed new footprints—Large ones.  
And his eyes traveled upward, finally meeting those of the same old woman from the day before, dressed in a different but equally expensive-looking blazer and skirt. He couldn't make out the details of the woman, given his slightly blurred vision, but he knew it was her from the posture and the smell of the same expensive perfume.

"I was wondering when you would show back here," she smiled, not being the least taken aback by his alien appearance. "Mr. Mahihi, right? From the planet Keron, I'm assuming, from your species."

"Lady, who in the hell are you?" he asked, taking one stunned step back. "And what the hell's your game?"

"Well… My name's not important, and I have no game, but I believe my organization is more of what you're looking to know more about. I am from the Grant Initiative… We've been watching you for a little while now. We help with the assimilation of illegal immigrants to Pekopon. We get them their correct paperwork, get them in contact with other aliens, and whatever they could need."

"W—What?" he shook his head.

"My husband was an alien who was here illegally. He was taken from me some time ago, because of it. That isn't here nor there, though…. Let's just say, I've dedicated my life, since then, to helping out people in your unique situation… I guess you can say I'm a bit of a rebel, that way, even if I don't look it!"

"…What?"

"Maybe it's best if we sit and talk this over," she chuckled.

And Mahihi found her the one decent chair he owned, while he took a seat in his hammock, and listened to the mysterious woman.

"Listen, I… I really appreciate you wanting to help me out, but I've been waiting for my team, and all…"

"...Do you know what year it is on Keron, now?" she asked, a little bit of worry in her voice.

"Um, well…." he tried to do the math.

And then she told him the number.

And Mahihi fell very, very silent, suddenly, and became visibly pale.

"T-That many years?" he choked out, and she nodded. "…But… How…?"

"I know that it's difficult to take it, but Keron still is a thriving planet! And even here in Hawaii there's a whole underground area of alien activity. You and your teammates' exploration helped to make it all a possibility here."

"So… What am I supposed to do now!?"

"Well, that's up to you, and that's often the most difficult question to answer. If you remain as a human, you take on all of the human qualities. Pekoponians are often prone to illness, the bodies are much weaker, and we don't have very long life expectancies when compared to Keronians. We're just a blip to you all. But I find that it's not how much time you have, it's what you do with it that matters. That's what my Elijah showed me."

"Wow… So I guess it's up to me?" he muttered, looking down at the ground. "Well, Daisy could use my help with those kids."

"You're growing fond of her," she smiled, and Mahihi blushed a bit. "It wouldn't be impossible to forge out a life here. And we could have people help you in the transition, if you chose to remain here. Not myself, personally… No, I'm nearly too old for that, now. But there are people here to help you."

"I… I don't know what I want, anymore, I guess," he mumbled.

"It doesn't come to you right away, some times, but it will in time," she reassured him, and held out a card to him. "This is the address of the alien alley. You can get yourself some contacts, there."

"Like, people who'll help me?"

"If you wish. But I had the ones for your eyes in mind, myself," she rose and smiled. "I look forward to the day when our species won't have to hide like this from one another. Now I must be going. Haruo's a patient driver, but a busy man."

"Um, hey…. Your husband… Where was he from, anyway?"

She turned around and smiled, "Well, he was a Keronian, of course!" and then she was gone from the shack.

And later that evening, Daisy glanced out the window of the kitchen again, and then went back to dolling out dinner for the children—They were more concerned as to where Mahihi was than dinner, though. Even Lily seemed upset by his sudden absence.

"So is he gone like Daddy now?" Violet asked after a period of quiet silence between them all. This caused Daisy to nearly drop the bowl of macaroni, and she set it down on the table, her hands shaking at the very mention of this.

"He… He just had to do some things, is all," she answered quietly, and went back to serving food to the children.

There was a knock on the front door, and the children immediately rushed to it before Daisy could barely register it. Even Lily struggled to break out of her high chair, and Daisy lifted the little girl out, and hurried to the door.

And on the porch was an apologetic-looking Mahihi, in his human form with his head bowed. His foot looked healed, and there was a small bag with unfamiliar, foreign-writing in his one hand. "I… I had to get some stuff… Got my foot fixed, too. Found a good guy to do it. I'm sorry for running out like that, earlier, and all…"

Daisy was quiet a moment, and then nodded and gave a sigh, stepping to one side to allow him in, "…All right, let's get to dinner… You, too, if you want."

He jerked his head upward, and then nodded, and smiled, "Yeah, that'd… That wouldn't be too bad, I guess…"

And he made sure to duck his head down before entering the house, this time around.

She took hold of his hand, and his heart stopped for a moment. Then she bent him down and whispered, "...You ever leave without telling those kids again, and they'll never find your body."

This was one of the other things he found himself liking about her.

Daisy looked out at the lawn and shook her head. He was out mowing it again, even though she'd already told him not to worry about it several times.

"What the hell kind of an angle are you playing, exactly?" she muttered, shaking her head. The days had turned into weeks and now it was three months Mahihi had stayed with them. And in that time he'd taken up many of the repairs that the house had badly needed, and had taken to selling more boards at the local surf shop, the beginnings of a steady income.

He'd also been enjoying the change in cooking, she thought to herself with a small snort and a giggle. That was starting to show, both in his human and Keronian form. Violet's mention of "it being harder to lift him up now" had about done him in. He'd spent the day sulking after her saying this.

She hadn't really seen him in his creepy little alien form much, recently, now that she thought about it… She put this out of her mind quickly, though, and went back to fixing lunch.

"All done!" he bounded in, not having to worry about the doorway now—He'd won the battle and raised it, as well as hung a new door. Every other doorway in the house was still his mortal enemy, however.

"You're in a good mood," she said almost suspiciously.

"Yeah, well… I guess," he scratched the back of his head and laughed this off…. Even though he was working more, now, he also seemed more relaxed to her, in some respects. He turned around as Buddy struggled and grunted from the hallway, lugging behind him a stuffed-full duffel bag.

"Buddy! You know you can't take all of those toys to Grandma's—You'll have plenty to do over there!" Daisy sighed, rushing over to him.

"No we won'tttt…" he groaned, although even at his young age he knew this battle was in vain. Daisy shooed him back into the room, and from here, Mahihi heard her order him to pick only five toys to take, followed by a promise that she would watch the rest for him.

"Grandma's, huh?" he laughed as Daisy walked back out, already worn from the battle.

"Yeah, my mother comes from another one of the islands a couple of times a year and takes the kids off my hands for a week," she nodded.

"My folks always asked me about grandkids, and when they were gonna have any… And they asked about who I was dating a lot, too…. Come to think of it, my best friend was a guy who wore a dress… Man, no wonder Pop looked so weirded out, some times!" Mahihi shook his head.

Daisy smirked at this and then returned to cleaning the kitchen, "Well, they can borrow mine, some time." She said this absently, and almost immediately, upon realizing it and looking over Mahihi's expression, attempted to backtrack, "What… What I mean is…"

"Nah, I got it. You're fine, don't worry... I... I've almost gotten to where I've accepted everything, now," Mahihi reassured her. "A whole week? Eh, don't worry, I'll keep out of your way as much as possible."

"As long as you can keep quiet on Tuesday, that's all right by me."

"What's Tuesday?"

Looked up from her dishes to Mahihi, and then resumed washing them just as quickly, a small smile on her face. "Well… A few of the other women at my work thought it was… Time for me to move on, I guess… So they're setting me up on a date. It's just to humor them more than anything, honestly."

"A date, huh?" Mahihi smiled. He felt like he'd taken a blow to the stomach. He'd spent so much time trying to impress her in the past few months—He'd put more effort into doing that than he could remember anything else in his life—and some stranger was getting a date with her, just like that? He knew her too well to just ask her like that…. But some schmuck…

He went into the nearest room in the back, found a wall, and beat his head against it a few times. He only stopped when he felt a tapping on his leg, and looked down to see a worried Lily.

"It okay," she reassured him, hugging onto his leg.

Tuesday. He looked up at the calendar and glared. Even with all of his hoping and begging, it'd still come anyway. And he sat in the kitchen, eating more out of stress than hunger, while he heard Daisy in the back room preparing for her date. He swallowed the last of his sandwich bitterly and then stared ahead at the wall. He hadn't pounded his brains against that wall, yet… That looked like a good, sturdy place to do just that.

And Daisy stepped out, finally ready for the evening. Well, almost ready. She was still putting on her earrings.

"Not too overdone?"

"Not that I have a lot of experience in the matter, but, nah… You look great," he answered with a forced smile. In truth, she looked better than perfect.

She glanced out the blinds and then turned away, pacing in the living room, "He's about five minutes away, now… That's if he doesn't get too lost…. I think the directions were bad. Maybe they were bad?"

Five minutes. So he had only five minutes to do this. He'd fought enemies head-on and had been less anxious.

"Well, if he gets lost, we could always watch a movie, or something…"

"Yeah, I guess," she answered, although she was clearly distracted.

Mahihi shut his eyes and sighed, "Listen, Daisy…. Maybe… Maybe tonight's not a good night. What kind of a guy arranges a date on a Tuesday, anyway?"

"…Someone who has Tuesdays off…?"

Damnit. Couldn't correct her when she was right.

"Yeah, but… I mean… Well… Staying in isn't so bad, right? I mean, who knows what I'd get into around here? I almost burnt the place down trying to use a blender!"

"It was my washer. You just thought it was a big blender."

Again, she was correct.

"Yeah, well… What I'm trying to say is…"

A car horn sounding from outside. Daisy gasped excitedly and picked up her purse, and hurried to the door. She was stopped just short of opening it, though. Someone had grabbed hold of her wrist. She turned around, and faced Mahihi, and for the first time she noticed his hand shaking.

He bent down and kissed her on the cheek, "Have… Have a good night, tonight…" he then broke away from her, and immediately scurried into one of the back rooms. She was only broken out of her stupor by the sound of the car horn once more.

And Mahihi already started to pack his things, because he knew after a stunt like that, he wouldn't be a very welcomed guest much longer. He placed the doll Violet had given him back on her bed, then sighed and shut the bedroom door behind him. He'd watched over it long enough for her. He was able to pack up all of his belongings into one sorry brown paper box. A sparkling military career to one brown box. It depressed him too much to think about that too heavily.

The door opened again too soon, much sooner than he had anticipated, "What, was he a jerk?" he asked, looking over to Daisy with a spooked and puzzled expression. "Do I need to beat him up, or did you do that?"

She only shut the door behind her and knelt down in front of the couch, "…Do me a favor, and change back into you. The real you."

He was puzzled by this request, but, after a few moments deliberation, nodded, touched upon his crest, and found himself seated on the couch in his original Keronian form.

Daisy looked across to him, placed a hand on one of his cheeks, and then leaned over and pecked him gently on the other one, "Huh. Not as cold as I thought it would be…."

Mahihi was stunned silent, only watching what was going on in confusion, while his face went bright red.

"…I told him that he was really nice, but… I already met someone who helped out around here, who cared about us, and who cared about the kids more than anything…" Daisy explained.

"…Yeah? Where… Where'd you meet him?" he squeaked out.

"My kids drug him home like a stray cat," she answered with a laugh. "He's a nice guy. A little short or a little tall, depending on the day. He's getting sort of pudgy, too, now that I think about it…."

"P-Pudgy?!"

"But that's okay," she finished. "I think I like him for it all the same."

"So you want to get married?" the hopeful words flew out of his mouth before he could honestly think. Daisy laid back on the floor, covered her hands over her face, and started laughing, "What, not tonight?"

"No way!" she said through laughter.

"Next week, maybe, then?"

"We'll see, all right?"

"And it took three months of me doing that to get her to agree to marry me," Mahihi said sheepishly. "The only time I think I begged for something more was when it was for… Some game when I was a kid. Can't even remember what it was, honestly," Mahihi added with a laugh. "It was worth it, though."

"So there was a lot of work involved," Giroro nodded. "And… The Grant Initiative…. Where've I heard of someone with that last name? I know it's familiar…"

"Yeah, keep quiet on that, if you wouldn't mind… I'd hate to have that get back to Keron. We already tested our luck with them once," Mahihi sighed.  
Giroro was quiet a moment, and then looked out at the children, "…You have my word I'll keep it quiet, Mahihi."

"Especially—"

"Especially to Keroro," Giroro finished. "He's my friend... He's not very good with secrets. I'll be the first to admit that."

"Man, that's a relief," Mahihi gave a relaxed sigh. "Makes a guy sane, having someone else to talk to about stuff like this! And, hey, hopefully in a few years, you'll be telling me how you won over that redhead!"

He nudged Giroro and the soldier, in return, only became redder than usual.

"...J-Just maybe…" the soldier stuttered.

Both men were taken out of this moment of serenity as they heard a yell of excitement from the beach.

"B-Buddy! No! Put it back down!" Mahihi shouted.

"K-Kirere, stop running from it so fast, you'll crash into-!—that—tree…"

"….That…. Looked like it hurt…" Mahihi muttered, and stood. Giroro joined him, and both men hurried over to their children.


	65. Fujuju, Botan & Family: Through Time Pt1

Is it just me, or does the style of the writing for these chapters change when it's a Keroro-less "episode". Gah, maybe I'm over-thinking. Surprise, surprise. And talk about a chapter that didn't want to be born –rolls eyes-. Let's just say for reasons I'm not even fully aware of, probably, this was incredibly stubborn to write. Thirty-two is now a number I'll probably hold a grudge against for some time. I still hope that this is a quality chapter, it's definitely something I strive for. And sorry if the pacing's a bit quick, there was a lot to cover : )

And... Yeah, Fujuju here. Sooooo sorry if anyone's starting to get sick of him, yet XD; I try to balance it out, but he's had it pretty interesting since the story's started. So, yes, I'll try to focus more on Kirere and the Platoon next episode, hehe. Anyway, this was an episode long-time in the making, so I do hope you enjoy it.

Episode 32

Fujuju, Botan & Family: Affections Through Time

Part One

Fujuju glanced over at the tuxedo hanging up in the opened closet, and then back to the two infants laid out on the bed in front of him. They were asleep again… He'd been told in one of his parenting books that they'd sleep a great deal, for the first few days, and then would come the point when they'd never sleep. And it would go on until they were sleeping all the time again, this time as teenagers.

His son was a Keronian, like him. The same skin tone, maybe a little bit lighter than his own, and yellow eyes—The same shape and kind as his, but amber-colored. His daughter… His youngest daughter, now…. Looked just like her mother. Linen white skin, pink eyes. Her hair, the little she did have, was light pink. Botan had reassured him that this was another common hair color for her race, and nothing to panic about. And he had panicked. He'd panicked almost every little detail he could panic about since they'd been brought home.

"…You'll both enjoy the wedding now, won't you?" he said quietly. "It's only a week's time away… Wish you could've waited just a bit longer, your Mum was so set on wearing her one dress…. Well, maybe it can be altered in time, right?"

"Dad?" a knock on his door, and he looked up—Rita, in her Keronian form. "Ohhh, they're awake?!"

"Relatively speaking…" he replied, yawning himself. "It was nice Tama-chan was able to get Dr. Suzuyama here to help deliver them… Inter-dimensional portals… Outstanding device, wouldn't you say? Never had such things when I was his age... What a wonderful generation to be a part of!"

"Yeah," she giggled, and climbed onto the bed. "…Wonder some times how Mom did it…"

Fujuju shot his head up, and blinked… How had she done it? It… Had honestly never occurred to him before now, but….

"Well… She managed, it seemed… You being here and all…"

"…So, you nervous?"

"About what now?"

"Well, you know, about the wedding and stuff?"

"Why would I be? Compared to the last time I was married, I'd say this is almost a cakewalk… No Axis trying to blow us up in the middle of cake and tea."

"Well, all the guests coming in and everything… And that whole "forever" thing. That's a long time, especially for us."

"Y-Yes, it is…"

"All of those people there… I mean, that'd be the last place where you'd want anything to go wrong? And it usually does…. People faint… Exes show up…. You know, like in the movies!"

"R-Rita, why don't you go down to the store and take care of the groceries for me, then? I'll make dinner tonight."

"Haha, you don't even have to worry about dinner, I ordered it!"

"O-Ordered? But… I always cook dinner…"

"Nah, you've been slacking, lately! We've had pizza three times this month!" she giggled. "I'll go… We'll need stuff for breakfast, anyway…. The fridge is almost empty!"

"All right, then," he gave a weak smile to her, and watched her as she left. "….I forgot to make dinner…?" he said aloud in disbelief, staring at the ceiling. "How… How could I forget something like that?"

A little while later, after putting the children in their cribs, he wandered out, a dazed look still on his face, still not believing he'd forgotten something so important.

"Hey, look who it is, Dah's come to join us!" Oliver said with a laugh from the dining room table. Fujuju wandered over, and looked up at the pizza box in the middle of the table, still registering it. "You all right, there? You look exhausted!"

"Yes, well… It's been… A stressful few months, children," he admitted, climbing onto his seat and joining Oliver and Maggie.

"It really has," Maggie said with a smile to Fujuju as she served him a plate. "But that's all right, we have one another!"

"What, with those big papers, and all…" Oliver took a bite of his pizza, and Fujuju looked over, stunned.

"W-What papers were these?!"

"We had to do a paper for our history course. It was worth about a third of our overall grade."

"That teacher…" Oliver shook his head, "The bloody devil…."

"Oh! Oh, dear, well, if you need me to look over them, I—"

"We got them back," Oliver held up his. "I got an A."

"An A? Margaret, how did you—"

"A plus."

"… Just more proof that Mags always has to one-up me…" Oliver laughed, and leaned back in his chair. Maggie just as quickly answered this by reaching over and kicking his chair forward.

"That's why Rita let us order pizza…. And we know you usually like to take us on trips for good grades, but we understand that you have a lot going on…"

"You'll just owe us double in summer, is all!" Oliver laughed, slapping his tutor on the back. Fujuju did his best to join in the laughter, although it was feigned, at best. He was clearly still reeling from this, and it showed as he ate his dinner relatively quietly.

He was almost happy when he heard the first cry from one of his children, and he rushed in immediately to see what the problem was—But Botan was in the bedroom, in full Time Bender regalia, already holding the two in her arms. She glanced up at Fujuju, and a small smile crept up from underneath her mask.

"Y-You shouldn't be exerting yourself with things like this already!" he stuttered, and hurried over to a rocking chair they had set up in the bedroom, rushing to move away the new baby toys. "Here, sit!"

"I'm fine," Botan reassured him. "You look as though I feel."

"….You were incredibly close with that saying, too…" Fujuju sighed, tossing aside a children's book and taking a seat on one of the boxes.

"…Something is troubling you…"

"I… I suppose so," he answered. "…Rita ordered dinner tonight…"

"That's preferred. Her cooking is terrible."

"Y-Your tact is improving, I see… Excellent work!"

Botan set the babies in the crib, and knelt down in front of Fujuju, removing her mask and bringing her forehead to his, "…Whatever it is, I'm here…"

"I know," he sighed, and shut his eyes. "…And I appreciate it…."

A long whistle, followed by a laugh, "….Blimey, so is this what tutors do in their spare time!—OW!" both turned their heads at the sound of this, following by the familiar smacking sound of Maggie reprimanding her brother.

"Don't mind him… He may get better marks now, but he's still the same dolt underneath it," Maggie now had him in a headlock, and was leading him towards the front door. "We'll be heading out! You two have a lot to get done, we don't want to be a bother."

"No, really, you don't—" but Fujuju's words fell upon deaf ears.

"See you tomorrow! Ow! Mags, I'm choking!"

"Good! It means that you're learning something…." she grumbled, and then the door slammed.

"…Any thoughts of them babysitting you can remove from your mind now…" Botan instructed Fujuju, and he chuckled at this.

"They…. Really, they won't be that bad with the babies. At… At least I don't like to believe so…"

"Hey!" Rita swung into the room and smiled widely. "Dinner's put away, why don't you two go out for a little while, get some fresh air?"

"Are… Are you certain, Rita?"

"Sure! You guys have a good time! Go on!" she laughed, waving them off. "You've been cooped up here for the last couple of weeks, it'll be great for you guys!"

"….I'm suspicious of her motives…" Botan admitted.

"Oh, she just wants us to have a good time, is all! The fresh air might do us good…." Fujuju replied, and clicked onto his crest, transforming into his human form. "…Amazing how quiet this home was only a little while ago…" he said this to himself, but it went unheard by Botan, who herself was changing for their outing. He saw her look over her wedding dress, and he felt himself give a dry gulp in automatic response.

They left Rita and the babies, and walked down to a small park, which was only lit by streetlights along the road. It was nighttime, and only the occasional walker passed them by, giving a curious look to the man with the wild green eyes and the tall pale woman by his side.

The fresh air did put Fujuju in slightly better spirits, he found…. Maybe his daughter had been onto something, after all, "I… I can't wait to be able to take the children out to the park…." he said quietly. "…I missed playing outside when I was taken… Did you ever do anything for the sort? I mean… Was there anywhere to play?"

"Not in the way that children on Pekopon play, but something like it, yes…." Botan answered. "…You still seem troubled."

He didn't want to bother her with it. He couldn't, and he knew it, "…Pre-wedding jitters, I suppose. I…. I was just as bad the first time, honestly!"  
He didn't want to tell her the real reason. He didn't want to tell her that it was almost too much to adjust to so quickly. He didn't want to be ungrateful for it; he'd lost chances a good life so many times before, if he was ungrateful, he would just lose it all again. It was always when he was too comfortable that things like this left him. His parents, his chance to get off of Keron and away from the scientists, his life with Eliza… It'd all been too good to be true, as was this.

He could tell that she didn't totally buy this answer that he did give, and she was about to speak, when there was a flashing purple light in the sky.

"…Maybe a shooting star…" he tried to laugh this off, but had the sinking feeling of otherwise as it came closer and closer to them. "B-Bloody—" he pulled Botan aside, falling into a brush with her, and barely missing the "star". "A-Are you all right?!"

"Yes… Please get off of me, your elbow is in my stomach!" she groaned, and he did his best to untangle himself from her, stumbling out of the bushes in the process. And Botan stood, much more gracefully, and was the first to wander over to the crash, and inspect what exactly it had been.

A person… A tall, pale man… Light purple hair, a dark purple tunic and silver slacks… And a silver mask at his side. In his hand were the remnants of what could have very well been a staff.

"It… It's a Time Bender…" Botan muttered, stunned and her eyes wide in awe.

Fujuju kicked open the door to his home, and entered in sideways. He had one of the other Time Bender's arms over his shoulder, while Botan held the other. Fujuju being relatively shorter than both, this had made the trip a relatively awkward.

"O-Oh my God!" Rita bolted up from the couch, as did her date, another Keronian on the couch with her, this one a male about her age.  
Fujuju, in shock, dropped the arm of the Time Bender. Botan couldn't hold the weight or the surprise of his suddenly leaving, and the alien fell to the ground.

"R-Rita?! W-What are you—"

"T-This is… Well… We met at a conference last month… I… I've been wanting for you both to meet!" she giggled. "Oh, who's your friend? Wait, is he okay?!"

"I'm not certain… Rita, perhaps we could hold off on the meeting another time?" he asked tiredly, helping Botan to retrieve the other Time Bender from the floor.

"I-I'll call you! Cool house you've got here, Rita's Dad!" called the Keronian man, and he rushed out without much notice of anyone.

"Let's put him in the guest room," Botan suggested, and Fujuju nodded, stumbling to the back room. The man gave a groan, and opened his eyes when he was set back on the bed.

"I-I brought a blanket!" Rita rushed in. "….Wow, he's pretty cute!"  
Fujuju snapped his head, and while not aware of his own automatic stunned expression, it was enough that Rita held up her hand in defense.

"Not like that, don't worry!" she answered with a laugh, and passed the blanket up to Botan. "…I'll put on some tea…"

Fujuju turned his attention to Botan, and sighed. This wasn't the time to bother her, "…I'll go make sure she doesn't try to make it American again…. Almost lost the kettle, last time… I'd love to correct her with it, but I'm afraid I just don't have the heart for it…"

And he returned a short while later, remaining still in his human form, and carrying in a tray with two cups, "…How's he doing, now…?"

"Awake, although just barely…. I can't get a hold on his memories…" Botan replied, feeling the forehead of t he Time Bender, her eyes moving, as if they were searching for something she just couldn't find. And this was exactly the case now.

"And that's bad?" Fujuju glanced at Botan's expression as he sat and took up his own cup. "Right. That's bad…"

The Time Bender bolted up just as Fujuju began to sip his tea, causing the Keronian to spit it back out in surprise.

"W-W-Where…?"

"Relax. You're with friends," Botan reassured him, taking hold of his hands.

"I… I am…?" he asked shakily, holding his head. "What… What happened?"

"Yes," she nodded, and eased him back down. "This is information we require, as well… Who are you? What quadrant were you located in until now, and how did you find your way to this one?"

"I was separated from the rest of my—"

"Impossible! There aren't any others!" Botan snapped coldly.

"N-Now, let's not jump on the man, love…" Fujuju suggested, taking hold of one of Botan's hands.

"You're wrong," he answered, shaking his head. "There are survivors. You must believe me."

"It's im—"

"Nothing is completely impossible. It is foolish and illogical to think there's no room for error," he replied.

Botan flushed, flustered, and shook her head, storming out, "…I refuse to accept this…."

"She…. She just gave birth, and we're preparing for our wedding, so you'll have to excuse her," Fujuju said with a polite smile, setting his cup aside. "Now… Is there something we can call you?"

"Call, as in to summon me?"

"No, no, like… A name of sorts… Like Botan has."

"She's… Given herself a name?" he asked, stunned.

"Yes. Do you have issue with this?" she snapped in return.

"How about for the sake of conversation, we go with a simple name, then?" Fujuju said with a grin.

"…If it will suit your customs, then I will find one suitable," he replied.  
"Excellent! Now, if you don't mind me… I think I'll perhaps go and check on her," Fujuju excused himself, and hurried across the house to find Botan.  
He found her seated on the edge of the bed, in front of the crib. Switching back to his original form, he hopped onto the bed beside her, and gave a small smile.

"…Now who's looking down…?"

"…I spent so long, thinking I was the only one… Now seeing another of my kind in front of me, I can't readily accept it as truth…" Botan continued to stare down at the floor, and Fujuju placed a hand atop of hers.

"…I… Didn't really accept it as truth, either, I suppose…"

"When you found your platoon mates?"

"No, that you'd actually consider forming a relationship with me… I'm lucky, though. And… Maybe this is another good piece of luck."

"…I don't believe in such things…"

"…Even so, he's… He's really there…. He really is, love. I don't know how much more you want in the way of proof…"

"…Well, there's always—"

"We already went over that that's only for testing rabies on Pekoponian animals…" Fujuju answered quickly.

"I believe I found a name…" he was in the doorway now, a book open in his hands.

"Ah! Excellent!" Fujuju hopped off of the bed, and hurried to take the book from the Time Bender's hands, "Let's see now…. This page, here?"

"Yes…"

"…I… Iago…." Fujuju muttered flatly. "…Let's…. Let's take a look at the rest of the library, shall we?"

Eventually, after a bit of searching, they'd decided on a name, Lem. Fujuju found it fitting, and Botan, and now, Lem, took his word for it.

And Lem found his new surroundings nothing short of confusing, at first searching through Fujuju's lab, and, after this, making his way to the kitchen.

"…You still aren't believing that he's one of you?" Fujuju had laid out the pieces of his staff on his work bench, and was attempting to piece it back together as Botan stood behind him. There was a good view of the kitchen downstairs, and Botan glanced at the male Time Bender critically.

"…It certainly looks as though that is indeed what has happened…" she replied. "It's…. Still difficult to accept, however…"

"…I don't blame you…" he turned in his seat, and reached out across it, taking hold of her hand, "…Whatever it is, I'm here."

Botan pulled away from Fujuju, and without another word, rushed down the stairs, shouting, "What have you done!?"

And Fujuju looked over the rails, and down at the kitchen. Lem had managed to set fire to one of the kitchen towels through the burner, and Botan was helping to quell the flames.

"Many apologies. I wasn't aware that this would be the result… I merely wanted to see how it worked," he replied calmly. "A slight oversight."

"Slight!?" she barked in return. Botan and Lem both became aware of the eyes upon them…. Fujuju, staring down at the few cinders left, transfixed. Botan snapped her head to Lem, and gave him a cold look, "…See that this doesn't happen any more…."

Fujuju snapped out of his trance, and his shook his head, "Did…. Did that really… Not again…."

"Another one!?" the twin Martins gasped, leaning over the kitchen table, and Fujuju nodded.

"Botan must be so thrilled!" Maggie exclaimed cheerfully.

"OUT of that room!" came Botan's voice, followed by the wailing of the two small infants. Lem rushed out moments after this.

"N-Not exactly…" Fujuju admitted with an awkward chuckle. "Now! Who's going to finish up these eggs? Come on now, eat up!"

"…You okay there?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ohhh, not to worry, children! Everything will calm down and be fine, I'm sure of it!" although while Fujuju spoke, his teacup disappeared underneath the table briefly, just long enough to put in a quick shot from a flask hidden in his scarf. He then finished the tea in a single gulp, and set it roughly on the saucer. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go diffuse the situation…"

"….You think he's doing all right?" Maggie asked in a whisper.

"…Maybe… Hard to say…" Oliver admitted, and sniffed the tea cup that Fujuju had set down. The young boy cringed at the bitter smell, and hurriedly set it back down, "Then again…"

"…She's just stressed out with the children, is all… It's nothing personal, I promise," Fujuju reassured him. He'd found Lem in one of his storage rooms, looking about the heavily cluttered shelves.

"I understand…" Lem replied. "You… You have a fear of fire?"

"No… Not a fear… And obsession with it, would be a better way to put it…." Fujuju answered. "How did you know?"

"The way you looked at that flame…" Lem replied, picking up a book and closing it once more again.

"Well… We've all got our demons… C-Careful with that!" he yelped as Lem laid a hand on Botan's staff, which had been placed in a corner, out of the hands of any of the children. "Then again… I suppose you don't have to be… Being a Time Bender yourself…"

"You have a nice family…" said Lem, and held out the staff to Fujuju, "And your to-be wife is very intelligent…."

"I know it!" Fujuju said brightly, taking hold of the staff.

"She's much more intelligent than you," Lem continued, but before Fujuju could answer to this, he was gone, and only Lem was left holding the staff.

"—Do you mean by that….?" Fujuju asked, puzzled, and he looked around, now even more disoriented than before. The scenery had completely changed, and what was more, he was completely alone in the open, airy room. It was a world away from the cramped home he'd left in England.

The furniture was mainly wicker rattan, with brightly colored green cushions offering comfort. The rest of the furniture, including a coffee table and desk, matched. It looked to be an office of some sort, the more he adjusted.  
He took a few steps forward, his eye catching upon one thing in particular, "…A rotary-style telephone…? Why, I haven't seen one of these since… Well, it's been years, now!"

And he reached for a nearby newspaper, and his eyes went wide, "B-Bloody hell! Cuba?!"

"All right, let Mr. Suzuyama know that if he and his wife so intent upon helping, that we'll see him as soon as I can get out to Hawaii," a huffing sound, heels clicking. Fujuju immediately scrambled for cover, pressing upon his crest to attempt to make himself invisible. Instead, he only managed to change into his human form.

And the woman stopped dead in her heels, and looked down at the man in winter-wear, crouched down on the floor, still.

"E…. Elijah?"

"Eliza?" Fujuju choked in response.


	66. Fujuju, Botan & Family: Through Time Pt2

Woo! Part 2! :D

...No, seriously, that's about all I have to say here. Sorry XD; Not every day's Christmas. Anyway... Please enjoy!

Episode 32

Fujuju, Botan & Family: Affections Through Time

Part Two

A little older. Hair a little longer…. Dressed in a totally different fashion than when he'd last seen her young last… But it was certainly his first wife. Her looking slack-jawed upon seeing him. Her running over to him and embracing him tightly, nearly causing him to fall over. She still wore her same perfume… It was her…

"I knew you would find us! I just knew it!" she gasped happily. "You… You look so wonderful! And I look so old! Well… So much older!"

"You… You don't… Eliza…" he stepped back, although he was still holding her. "You… You look wonderful, child…"

"Oh, I missed you calling me that! I missed that so much!" she laughed, and hugged him again. "I even missed that!"

"Mama?" more steps, these softer. A little girl with bright red hair, looking out at her mother and the curious newcomer, walked in, clutching onto an oversized doll. A Keronian doll. Fujuju went pale at the sight of the young Rita, and Eliza looked to him, and then down to Rita. She couldn't have been more than six or seven.

"…She's… Actually a little older than she looks… Elijah, this… This is Rita…" Eliza said quietly, looking sideways to the stunned Fujuju. "….Rita, why don't you come say hello now?"

"You hear that, Mags?" Oliver lifted his head up and looked about, and Maggie nodded.

"Sounded like a crash, almost…." she muttered, she stood to investigate it, as did Oliver, only to have Maggie's cell phone go off. Oliver rushed to grab it, only to have Maggie beat him to the pink phone on the table. "Hello? Oh! Yeah… Yeah! All right, we'll be right there!"

He sat back in his seat and groaned, "…Don't tell me that that was your stupid boyfriend again!"

"He's not stupid, he's very intelligent…. We're going to go meet up with him; I want him to meet Fujuju, at least once before the wedding…"

"Oh… That should be nice… 'This is my tutor. Please forgive the reptile appearance. Also, no matches, please, he doesn't take to them well'…" Oliver giggled, and Maggie nudged him in return.

"Don't be rude! Come on, he's waiting for us…" Maggie sighed, and rushed to the front door.

"You know you'll have to do these sorts of things when I get a girlfriend!"

"Well, you'd have to get one, first, so there's not an awful lot to worry about!" Maggie laughed. Oliver only huffed in response, and followed her out of the house at a much slower pace.

"…How you gonna explain him living in a telephone box, anyway!?" Oliver called out to her right before they exited through the door.

And Botan stuck her head out from the bedroom, her son in her arms, and a bottle in hand. She jumped in surprise as Lem turned the corner, a concerned expression upon his face.

"Where is my husband?" she demanded. "I heard a noise. Is he all right?"  
Lem sighed, "We must speak, Botan…. He's left you."

"…Explain yourself."

"Rita… This is Elijah…. He's an old friend of mine…" Eliza brought the little girl over, and much to Fujuju's surprise, she clutched onto him, begging to be lifted up. He did this, taking the little girl into his arms. She wore a charm on her necklace, an unmistakable one. That same blue "E" symbol….

"…You look funny…" Rita giggled in her American accent, poking at the side of his nose.

"R-Rita! Really!" Eliza laughed. "That's no way to talk to a friend!"

"But he does!" she laughed.

"Come on…" Eliza lifted the little girl out of Fujuju's arms, setting her back down on the ground. "Go put some more sunscreen. You'll catch an awful sunburn…."

"Can't I just stay in my other form, then?" she moaned, putting a hand toward the crest.

"No, you're in an even worse state, then," Eliza chided her. "Now… Go do that, and see if there are any other children around the hotel you might like to play with… Maybe play with that new movie camera mother got you… It has sound and everything, and she paid a great deal for one like that, you know."

"All right… And you're still funny-looking," Rita reminded Fujuju once more before exiting the room.

"It's quite all right… I was like that, at that age…"

Eliza's head tilted downward, "So… You figured it out…"

"Well… She's a practical clone of me…." Fujuju answered in disbelief. "Well… One form, at least…."

"You're still taking it better than I'd imagined you would…Maybe we should sit down for a bit…." Eliza motioned him over to a sitting room in the office, and Fujuju nodded, loosening his scarf and fanning himself with his hat. "We'll get you something cooler to wear, too… You always did dress like it was winter, even in England! How… How did you even get here?!"

"It… It's an incredibly long story that I can't even fully explain, but from my understanding, I've dropped in… How're your father and Nanny doing?"

"Father's made a good name for himself, financially… He's a Dean and the school, now! Nanny retired with a sister of hers, but still likes to visit…" Eliza explained, pouring herself and Fujuju a drink from a glass decanter.

"….Probably making voodoo dolls of me, no doubt…. The old bat, how I missed her as well, much as I hate to admit it…" Fujuju muttered, taking a sip of the drink.

"Actually she's in Monaco…" Eliza giggled. It was about this time, Fujuju choked and spat back out the burning alcohol. "O-Oh, Elijah! I should've warned you, sugarcane liquor, it's… Quite potent…."

"We… We made alcohol in our apartment sink that wasn't as strong! What on Earth are they using?!"Fujuju half laughed.

"Probably petrol, but it does the trick…" Eliza took his glass from him and stood, taking his hand and urging for him to do likewise. He did, and she smiled, taking his other free hand in hers. "…I can't tell you how much I missed you…"

And it was when she leaned in to him and kissed him that Fujuju knew he had to get back home.

"It… It isn't cheating if I'm still married to her, right?" Fujuju repeated out loud to himself, followed by a groan and a slump over the balcony railing. All he would have to do was slip off, and he wouldn't have to explain. He wouldn't have to explain to his current wife that he had not only two more children, but another wife on the way. And he wouldn't have to explain to his wife in the present that he'd met his first wife again. But he'd die wearing white pants and a light blue shirt, as well as brown shoes that were even less comfortable than the ones he'd had to wear at his first wedding. He looked like he was bowling… In the tropics.

"….Oh, I'm a dead man, any way I look at it…." Fujuju muttered, and looked up, skyward. "…If there happens to be anyone out there, I… I wouldn't mind a little intervention about now… Really, I don't care who from, at this point. I swear I won't be picky."

He didn't hear the soft footsteps behind him in his room… He didn't even notice Eliza as she stopped, catching short of the scarf laid out on his bed, or as she turned it over and looked over the pictures. Her smile fell as she looked over the photos, the photos of his family…. And the smile returned as she quietly came to terms with what she found.

"…I suspected something like this would happen eventually…" she said with a small sigh to herself, although this was loud enough for Fujuju to catch, and he spun around, his expression wide-eyed and stunned.

"I-I can explain this all!" he yelped as he saw the pictures on the bed, spread out, and began to sputter, and she only held a hand out to him, placing it over his lips and smiling.

"…I'm happy for you…. I am… Where… Where are you right now, exactly, Elijah?" she asked quietly, and removed her hand.

"…Jail. And missing you very much, still," he answered, taking hold of the hand.

She turned away, and, of all things, began to laugh, "…This must be horribly awkward for you, then…."

"Unbelievably. I…. I don't think there are any books that have handled this…"

"Of course not. They wouldn't want to deal with the wives, even if they were in just stories!" Eliza smirked. "…So what's it like where you are? Wait, wait, wait! Don't tell me! I don't want to know… But… Does Glenn Miller ever make a comeback? I have to know that, if nothing else!"

"…Dear, Miller died in the war…"

And Eliza gave a huff, "…Likes his post in France too much… I knew it when we took him on, I just knew it! Going back to music my foot…"

"…Pardon….?"

And she turned, giggled, and took him by the hands, "I've been incredibly busy while you were out, Elijah. I've got so much I need to show you…"

"I took a moment of pity on him…He begged me, what else was I to do?" Lem said calmly. "He said the pressure had simply become too much for him."

Botan snapped, "You're lying! He wouldn't do that to me…."

"He does have issues, however, correct? Perhaps it became too much for his mind to all handle," Lem replied, and Botan fell silent at this.

"He still would not abandon all of us like this…. You have no idea of his character…" she rose and headed to the back bedroom. "He is a good man, in spite of his problems."

"How are you remedying this? By pursuing him?" Lem asked, following her. "Where his destination was is even a mystery to me. It would take a millennia to find him."

"…I'll find him somehow," Botan's eyes flashed. "And time means nothing to us. Why would this be of concern of you?"

"It means nothing to you and yet it is our existence. Your talents are squandered here," he took her by the arm. "There was little mistake in our meeting with one another."

Botan broke out of his grip, and gave him a cold glare, "…I am nothing like you. And even if I am not living to my full potential in one respect, I am more than making up for it in others…"

And with the look Lem gave her, Botan knew there was little mistake in their meeting.

And that she could very well have been right to not trust him.

Four hands on the piano in the suite of the hotel, a set of small ones and a set of large ones.

Fujuju glanced down to the young Rita, and asked again, "Now, your mother said you're good at this, right?"

"Right! I've been practicing! Mom makes sure there's a piano in wherever we're living so I can!" she nodded and laughed.

"All right, you help me, then…" he started, and she joined in, Eliza walking in halfway, a folder in her hands, and stopping, silently allowing the two to their somewhat shaky rendition of "Heart & Soul".

"Never took you for a Larry Clinton fan…" Fujuju laughed through this.

"…Who?" Rita asked, but continued, her tiny fingers fumbling over the keys with him.

"All right, now, concentrate, concentrate…." he reminded her, nodding back to the sheet music. And she did, breaking into a fit of laughter towards the end and nudging Fujuju. This went on until he stopped playing, too, and lifted her up onto his lap. "I hope that's not usually how your lessons go!"

"Ohhh, no. I'm usually the one to teach her… And she's horrid," Eliza answered, craning her neck down to Rita. "…When did you ever pick up the piano, anyway, Elijah?"

"A man has a lot of time for hobbies when he decides to shut himself off from the world," Fujuju answered. "I'm also accomplished in being able to fashion tin foil into most-any animal, now."

"Well, that's good to know. No wonder you found someone to marry you!" she laughed, and took Rita's hand as she squirmed out of Fujuju's arms.

"I want to go with you tonight this time to see everyone. Can I? Please? I'll be quiet!"

"No, no, dear… You know it's too dangerous…" Eliza knelt down and kissed her on the forehead. "Mummy will be back here in time for a late dinner with you and her friend."

"All right…" Rita sighed. "…But I'll be bored…"

"No you won't. If I'm not mistaken, you have a large pile of homework building up quickly…. You're the one who wanted a summer vacation like other children, and you're off of that, now. So it's back to the grind, those fractions won't do themselves."

Rita rolled her eyes at this, and took hold of Fujuju's hand, "You come help me with it, then… You like numbers!"

"What's not to love? They're wonderful things!"

"I hate them," she answered flatly.

"Well, go over them until you learn to love them, go on," Eliza pushed her daughter towards her room, and Rita was off with a dissatisfied huff. "…It's rough trying to convince her that her life isn't an extended vacation, some times… This weather doesn't help much, though, I admit…"

"Speaking of which, you… Maybe would like to relocate to the Keys within the next few years or so…" Fujuju answered, his eyes shifting a bit. "Just… It's nicer there, and all… At least leave here before 1959."

Eliza smiled at this, and led him out of the hotel room, and down the wide corridor, "There'll be one of my coworkers to check in on Rita to make sure she's up to no trouble… In all honestly, I think they're somewhat afraid to, she's got such a trickster streak to her…"

"She gets worse when she discovers boys…." he muttered under his breath off-handedly.

"What was that?"

He snapped his head back over to her, "Where are we going? I was wondering where we were going…"

A serene look came on Eliza's face, and she looked ahead to the hall, her folder still under her arm, "To meet some people who need our help. People who were like you, once upon a time. I help them, now… After you left, and… I found out about Rita… I was at a loss. I was pregnant and not a doctor I knew of could help me. And then, I managed to come in contact with some people who could help…. A sort of underground for people like us… Before I knew it, I was, well… We were all helping one another, like they'd helped me with Rita all those years ago."

"…I'm sorry… For not being there. For not working harder to fight them off when they came to get me…" Fujuju's eyes fell, and they entered the elevator, the only two there. Both instinctively stood in the back of the elevator, and Eliza stood there silent a moment, taking in Fujuju's expression. She then tilted his head to view his neck, and sighed.

"That scar's there either way, isn't it?"

"Well, the scarf hides it, for the most part…" he answered, motioning around the area on his neck.

"I'll have to make you some more for later-on. In case we ever meet again, after this," she replied, looking forward again.

"….Lord, how strong you became while I was gone…"

The doors open, and there came a blast of the warm air, laced with the familiar and fragrant odor of cigars. People walked about quickly through the hotel lobby, mainly well-dressed American and European tourists, some stopping to snap pictures, a few conversing in broken Spanish to the employees. And in a corner of the bustling lobby, a band playing—Four men and a woman (the singer), all dressed in matching white, singing to the guests.

"It's a shame to know that it won't always be like this, isn't it?" she admitted with a sigh. "That's why we have to take in these things when we can…. It's almost sunset, our friends should be arriving rather shortly. Come on, we have to make it down to the beach by then."

"…The phone box….?" the young man choked in near-disbelief. He'd heard about Maggie's tutor being strange, but…. This wasn't exactly expected. "…Your tutor… Lives here?"

The new young man was pale, with shaggy dark hair, and matching dark eyes. He was taller than Maggie, and also taller than Oliver (which annoyed Oliver in secret). Dressed in a wrinkled button-up shirt and khaki pants, he pushed up his black-framed glasses and examined the box once more, still not quite believing it.

"Yeah, scary stuff… You should probably turn back around now. You know he's been to jail? Rumor has it he killed a man in New Castle," Oliver leaned inward, and his voice dropped down to a whisper. "…And they found pieces of the same man all the way in Belgium."

"Ollie!" Maggie snapped, and smacked her brother on the back of the head, "It's a little unusual an entrance, but it actually leads to the building it's behind… Some artists lived here before him, they designed it."

"Murdered them, too. With nothing but a spanner and sheer will. They still haven't found those bodies, but they still can be heard some times. You step on a floorboard the wrong way, you can hear their screams," Oliver added quickly, and this resulted in another smack from Maggie. "OW! Did I really deserve that?!"

"And then some… Make sure he's able to take guests, please, Ollie…." Maggie said through a forced grin.

"If it's too much trouble…"

"No, no… Don't worry, Tom, he's been wanting to meet you! Really!" Maggie laughed, and motioned for Oliver to get a move on it. And Oliver did, in disgust, disappearing a moment behind the door, and then rushing back out, slamming it behind him.

"….We should all go out for lunch. My treat!" he laughed nervously, pulling the two along.

"Ollie, what's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing, just a small fight."

"With Botan and Fujuju?"

"Who's Fujuju?"

Maggie snapped her head over to Tom, but Oliver interjected, "No, no, with Botan and that other guy, Lem! Rita told me to leave and it would be all right, and that I should get out quickly, that Botan had it under control!"

"W-Who's Lem? And Rita?"

"You bloody idiot! She just had children, what do you mean he's fighting her?!" Maggie snapped.

"Maggie, who—"

"Rita's his daughter and Lem's another alien like Botan!" Maggie shot out, and immediately gasped. Oliver's eyes went wide, and there was a shared silence.

"A…. What….?" Tom half-laughed. "You're serious?"

"….We've got to get in there…" she looked to her brother. "I have a really, really bad feeling about this…" She then looked to Tom, and gulped, "…You can come, too, but…"

"I will," he nodded. "Let… Let's go…"

The sun had nearly set by the time they made it out to the beach, and Fujuju found they were far from alone. More Pekoponians spread out on the beach, some more… Off-looking… Than others… All staring ahead at the ocean, waiting….

"Are… Are they all from here?"

"No. We have some Americans. And there's a few Japanese," she answered,  
and then turned to him, laughing. "And, of course, a few like yourself…"

"What… What are we waiting for, exactly?"

She looked out ahead, and smiled, nodding for him to face the same direction. And there it was…. A new light. A second, flat-shaped sun? No… A ship, of some sort…

"…Can… Can everyone see it?"

"Only the people who know what to look for," she muttered quietly, and, as she spoke down from the main ship fell small orbs, looking almost like fireflies. They floated on the water, coming closer and closer to those waiting for them on the beach.

Fujuju had seen ones like them, before and in another life. Birdlike, almost, with large eyes, many in gray jumpsuits. A few of them looked at him curiously as they passed by, and the aliens, slightly taller than Fujuju in his Keronian form, were led off by the humans or aliens in human form, back towards the hotel. A few of the smaller or elderly ones were lifted up and taken back in the direction of the hotel.

"Their planet was destroyed, so they've come here, the survivors," Eliza explained, picking up one of the elderly gray aliens and beginning to walk with him in her arms. "…After the war, the ban on travel was lifted…. And, well, a lot of aliens have been coming here for help, or just to live amongst the people here."

"But… Why here?"

"Well, it's not a bad little planet. Virtually any sort of terrain exists, and it doesn't hurt that with that Roswell business, people are so busy looking upward that they don't stop to look around them…. I help them find a home here. All of us do…"

"That… That's astounding…" he muttered in awe. He looked down at one of the aliens in the golden halo beside him, and cleared his throat. "Right… Right this way, please…"

"What… On Earth….?" Tom's eyes widened at what he'd walked in on—Two pale… Humans? Humans, maybe…. The female floating, the man floating and holding onto a staff, battling against one another.

"I am telling you, you must come with me!" he called out to her. "This can be done either easily or more difficultly! My protocol says you must come with me!"

"Hey! Hey, you!" Oliver snapped, and lifted up what was nearest to him—A bookend. He winged it right as Lem, hitting him on the back of the shoulders. Lem's head snapped around, and he glared at Oliver. And he floated down, aiming the pointed end of the staff at Oliver. It almost hit the boy, but he was knocked out of the way by Tom at the last moment, both falling to the ground and the staff sinking into the wood paneling.

"You are in the way!" he snapped.

"What're we going to do?" Maggie whispered, and looked over from her spot from behind the couch—Rita with the two sobbing twins in her arms.

"Where's Fujuju?!" Maggie hissed.

"Cuba, I think, but I really, really don't know how I know that!" Rita whispered in return.

Lem still struggled with the staff, and Maggie gulped, and thought for a moment… It was worth a shot, at least…

She ran and slid, gripping onto the staff and meeting with Lem's eyes briefly. They had changed…. They were no longer Botan's pink, but bright yellow, and angry.

Then she was gone.

"…Read another one…" Rita muttered through a yawn, and Fujuju smiled and glanced up from the storybook.

"…You realize it's been an hour and we've gone through half the book…" he held up the storybook to show exactly how much they'd gone through in all this time, but Rita seemed undeterred.

"…But I like when you tell stories…" she answered, doing her bet to fight off sleep in the large hotel bed. She looked so small, so much smaller than the Rita he'd come to know…

"Now, now… You need your rest. It's your bed time, your mother's orders."

"Do you think you could read the other half tomorrow, then…?" she asked with a yawn, and Fujuju paused. Would he be there tomorrow?

"I… We'll see…" he shut the book and set it on the edge of the bed. "…Good night, Rita…"

He shut off the last of the lights, and was gone from the room, now back in the living room with Eliza.

"It… It's going to be hard letting go of you, but we're going to get our best people on it, I promise. You need to get home," she said in a quiet voice to him, not meeting his eyes. And he took a seat next to her and his smile fell, and he took hold of one of her hands. "….All this time I hoped that… Each time the next group of aliens arrived, you'd be among them… And… Here you are. I just wanted to show you everything I'd done, and I'd always hoped you'd be proud of me."

"Eliza, child…. I couldn't be prouder if I tried," he answered with a grin. "You are even more brilliant than I ever gave you credit for."

"I can't tell you how many times I wanted you to say that," she laughed through tears she wiped away. "Or at least have you here to say it to me."  
This was all interrupted by a gust of wind, a pink light, and the presence of a small blonde girl.

"M-Margaret!" he yelped, bolting up from his seat. "What's wrong? What're you doing with that? Where's Botan? The babies?"

"Lem's gone insane… He's going on about how Botan has to go with him, I don't know what's going on, and Tom's there, and, and…"

"It's all right, it's all right. We'll go fix it, all right?" he knelt down next to her, and then looked back over his shoulder to Eliza, who was still seated.

"Do what you have to," she said with a nod.

"Right then," he nodded, and stood. "One last thing, though."  
He rushed back into the bedroom, and urgently but gently shook Rita, "Rita. Rita? I have to go for a bit, love."

"What? Why…?"

"There's some people who really, really need my help. But your Mum is going to take care of you, I promise it, all right? And you'll be seeing me again soon as you know it," he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, and picked up the scarf he'd laid over the back of the chair beside the bed. "It'll be all right. I love you. More than I think you'd ever know."

She only muttered an answer it response, and rolled onto her side. He brushed back a few strands of her red hair, and then rushed out, back to Maggie and Eliza.

"Just concentrate on where you're going, and you'll be there," Eliza instructed her. "…Usually you need a Mobian to power one of these, but there should be some leftover power here, enough for one trip. So make it a good one!"

"All right," Maggie nodded, and then looked to Fujuju. "…Are you ready?"  
He nodded, and gripped onto the staff. And they were gone, Fujuju watching Eliza until she was gone from sight, and the two were back in the living room so familiar to him.

And there was Lem, stunned. Botan was in the back of the room, worn-looking from her fighting him, Rita with the children, and an unfamiliar boy with Oliver on the floor. The entire living room looked like a battlefield, with books everywhere and furniture overturned.

"…If you aren't a Time Bender, who are you?" Fujuju asked him evenly.

"…It is none of your concern," Lem answered, and Fujuju slowly backed up, holding out the staff and handing to back to Botan, while he himself reached underneath his scarf and pulled out his hammer.

"Why did you come here?"

"For the power of the Time Bender. As many have before," he answered firmly.

"Lem… Where are you from?"

"That is confidential. And I wouldn't expect someone from a species as primitive as yours to understand it."

"…Children… You and Rita leave for a moment," he said sternly, and Botan nodded in quiet agreement, gripping onto her staff.

"Come on, Tom, Ollie…" Maggie whispered, and they walked out of the apartment, Rita following them with the children.

The odd group waited outside on the curb, Tom reaching into his pocket and pulling out a tissue for Oliver, whose elbow had been scratched in his fall.

"Thanks, man," Oliver muttered, taking it.

"No problem… So, your tutor…" Tom started, now focused on Maggie.

"Alien. His wife, too."

"I'm from here, but I don't look it," Rita answered, and Tom nodded. "He's my dad, the alien. I'm from his first marriage. My mom was human. It's... Kinda complicated."

"Well…. That's cool," he nodded, and looked forward again. "…My dad's a contractor."

The door opened, and Botan looked down at the group, "You may enter."

"You kill him?"Oliver asked, looking around for some gory sign of a battle won, only to find none.

"No. Although that is what I wished for," Botan answered. Fujuju was slumped on the couch, exhausted.

"What the heck was that?!" Maggie exclaimed.

"And while we're at it, what the heck are you wearing?" Oliver snorted.

"An imposter…. Looking for Botan's power and intent on having it," he explained. "The staff, his one… A fake. Well made, though… Either way, he won't be finding us again for a long while. And no blood was shed in the process, either, so I'll count it as a good day. But he does know the risks of coming back here, if he does ever manage to make it back…. Now… Who's this?"

"This is Tom," Maggie answered, pushing her boyfriend forward. Fujuju looked him over…. A little older and in an Air Force uniform, he's be a spitting image of him, the Thomas he'd known so long ago. The Thomas who he'd spent so much time hating.

"…You didn't happen to have a great-grandfather in the military, now, did you, Tom? Air Force, maybe?"

"Yeah, actually! Little bit of a loony, but I guess they liked him enough to name me after him…" he answered with a slightly embarrassed and nervous chuckle.

Fujuju nodded, and then held out his hand, "Well, welcome to the family, then. I just want to offer you a word of warning that I can be a very nice man and also a bit of a very not-nice man when I think harm might come to my family."

"Haha, I wouldn't believe it, honestly… Oliver was tryin' to scare me all the way here about how you'd been to jail!" he laughed, and Fujuju only tilted his head, wondering exactly how he'd go about answering this. Tom soon grew worried about the silence in the room, and his chuckle grew more nervous, "W-What, seriously? Was that bit about New Castle real, too, then?"

"Come on, Mama, build a sand castle with me!"

"That's all right, dear. Mummy's a little tired, she's just going to watch you. Make a really good one, all right?"

"Okay!" Rita laughed, and rushed back to the beach, and Eliza remained there on the blanket, book at her side, and looking out at the ocean.

"…I can always help her a bit, if you want… You look tired, anyway, child…" Eliza gasped, and jumped up from the blanket, folding down her skirt and staring at Fujuju in disbelief. "I… I can be here for only a little while, but I didn't feel like the last good-bye was good enough for you…."

"Oh, you're beautiful!" Eliza gasped happily, looking past him to Botan. She took a large step forward, and took her hands, "How… How is this all…?"

"Often, the past is set in stone. It's like a movie that you can only watch. The only instance where this is an exception is where it is meant to be," Botan replied.

"And… This was meant to happen?" Eliza asked.

"If I deem it so," Botan answered.

"Isn't…. Isn't that risky, though?"

"Very… But this worth it," Botan replied, nodding over to tiny Eliza and her father, who were already building the castle together. "…This is my wedding gift to him. He's upset now that all he got me is a book… I think he might have bought me jewelry yesterday when I told him about this, but I am not for certain."

"Come on, you can make the moat," both women could hear Rita direct him in the distance.

"All right, as you say!" he laughed in return, headed to the water with her, not minding his slacks getting soaked in the process.

"Did… Did you want a drink?" Eliza asked, taking a seat back on the blanket. Botan sat beside her, folding her long purple dress beneath her legs.

"No, I am content at the moment," there was a quiet pause, which Botan broke, switching to small talk, "What did you find yourself seeing in him?"

"Well…" Eliza tilted her head to one side, "He was the sweetest man I'd ever met. I would've been a fool not to see that, more of a fool not to marry him for it. I would've found a way to marry him even if it hadn't been under the circumstances it was. You?"

"He makes me laugh," Botan answered sternly, and Eliza only slowly nodded, being taken aback at this answer.

And he spent the day on the Cuban beach with her, playing with the young Rita until she tired and ordered for him to carry her back to her mother, which he did so. And he grew concerned as he walked back to the blanket, and saw Eliza in a full blown laugh, and even Botan seemingly holding back a smile.

"Oh, no… You've been bonding…" he muttered, and set the sleeping girl down on the blanket.

"It couldn't be helped. Also, I did not know that you once destroyed a car."

"Well... That chicken coup had it coming."

Her smile fell, and she looked down to Rita, "Our time has almost come to its end, you realize."

"And I was afraid you'd say that…" he sighed, and looked to the sleeping Rita. "Eliza… I want you to do me a favor and keep her from dating as long as you can."

"I think I can do that…" she giggled. "Is there anything else I should know about? Anything else I can do?"

"There's so much I wish I could tell you, but… If there's one thing you could do for me. It's one thing I'd always wished that could have remained," he leaned in and whispered to her, and even Botan watched this, confused. He kissed Eliza on the forehead, and then took hold of Botan's hand.

"Good-bye, Elijah."

"Good-bye, Eliza," he replied, and was gone.

"That was nice of him to do, wasn't it, Rita?" she smiled, running her fingers through the little girl's curly red hair. "….He'll be just fine. And we will, too, won't we? Yes, I think everyone will be just fine…"

"We're home, Fran!" Oliver announced, walking in and stretching. "Oh… I've never been happier to get back to my bed! What a day! Hey, Maggie's nerd of a boyfriend met our tutor! Fran?"

"Fran? Frannie?" Maggie stuck her head in the living room, and there indeed was their sister, with a very blank expression on her face. Frannie said nothing, only shakily held out the letter to the twins and sat there in her fast-food uniform, looking ahead, her mouth slightly open. Oliver leaned over, closed his stunned older sister's mouth, and then read through the letter, glancing over Maggie's shoulder.

"…A house?" Maggie replied after scanning through the letter. "Someone left us… A house?"

"Taxes and everything… Paid for… It was in some aunt's will that I'd never heard of before, but… It… It's ours…"

"…Seems like… Aunt Eliza was very kind to us…" Oliver muttered, and Maggie smiled.

The following week:

"…I swear I thought this would go away by now…" Fujuju stared in the mirror, and much to his horror, he was just as red and sunburned as he'd been on the day after the beach. He'd hoped all week that it would get better, but it hadn't. And now this was his wedding.

"Ohh, you look fine. You just look like… A… Giant... Ginger lobster... Bloody hell, yeah, you're rough-looking," Oliver replied, and Fujuju sighed and continued to fumble with his tie in the mirror. "…It's astounding what they can do with computers nowadays, so I wouldn't worry about it. Mags's boyfriend is a computer nerd, he can fix it right up for ya!"

"…How's the new house working out for you three?"

"Little old… But it's cool. We missed having one like that. It's got a back yard and everything," he answered with a smile.

"Well, I should know, I had my first reception in that very back yard, after all... You know there's a Vera Lynn album buried out back there somewhere... Was never fond of Vera."

"So… Rita wasn't mad that you didn't give it to her? The house?"

"She's mourning the loss of her most recent boyfriend, and keeps asking me if I'm sure we hadn't met once or twice before when she was younger…. Plus, in her own words, "crashing here is sooo much easier than looking for a place here"!" he finished in his always-awful American accent, and finished his tie, swiveling around for Oliver to inspect. "I'm just happy there's no roller rink there… I know changing the past isn't something Botan enjoys particularly, but… It's all worked out. She helped it to. Our gift to you and your sister's family. Well, how's it look?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow, looking his tutor over, "Well, I'm happy the brown suit's gone, but why a bowtie?"

"Well… I was told it was in fashion…." he answered.

"…You're not gonna say it no matter what way I ask, are you?"

"And make the pastiche more obvious? I think not!"

"Worth a shot, at least…"

"Indeed. All right, let's be off!" he stopped momentarily, and looked to the hat rack. Oliver saw exactly what he was going for, and he groaned.

"Honestly, your scarf? To your own wedding?"

"Yes. Scarves are cool," he said with a grin, and Oliver only rolled his eyes and laughed at this.

"…Knew you'd say it. Just knew it!"

"Oh, you know I'm a bit of a pushover when it's family..."

Oliver laughed on the way out, and Fujuju put his arm around the boy, hugging him.

"All right, let's get me married before I go running off," he said before shutting the door.


	67. Keroro & Fuyuki: Rain Forest Secret Pt1

Gahhhh I knew to a few people I said there'd be one episode coming up, but this is a different one from the one I was talking about. I just got this one finished, first, is all. Sorry, guys XD; Please forgive me, that chapter will also still be published, just after this. I like having this one next, anyway. I think after a couple of heavy chapters something a little lighter is needed, plus I like to have it balanced between Romama Platoon-based and Keroro Platoon-based. XD Please enjoy!

Episode 33:

Keroro and Fuyuki: The Secret of t he Rain Forest!

Part 1

"Fuyuki-dono, look at this-! Gero?" Keroro was cut short, and his perfectly-crafted plastic model, lifted high proudly above his head, fell just a bit as he looked about his young friend-that-kept-him-from-ultimately-ruling's room, and its transformation. Papers hung everywhere. Shaky black and white photos, ancient-looking reports…

Keroro took a few steps in, glancing over some of the tacked-up photos, trying to make sense of it all. All the while, Fuyuki remained with his back to the sergeant, surrounded in a miniature fortress of books.

"Fuyuki-dono's playing Fujuju Soucho! I don't think you're doing quite enough openly mocking, but the love of books above all else is perfect!" Keroro exclaimed. No response. "Fuyu… Fuyuki-dono? Fuyu…ki… dono…?"

The green alien jumped from Fuyuki's left to right, quietly calling out his friend's name in hopes of attaining some attention.

"…Oh, no, Natsumi-dono, Fuyuki-dono didn't MEAN to make such a mess of his room!" Keroro called out, looking away towards the door.

Fuyuki bolted up from his seat, book still in his hands, "EH!? Nee-chan, I can-! O-Oh, Gunso? How long have you been here?"

"Look, I finished this model Fuyuki-dono bestowed upon me for Christmas! It took days alone to file it down perfectly, and now you can't even see the seams!" Keroro replied proudly, rubbing against the toy in a display of affection, not much unlike a parent to a child. "I just had to show this off to the world! Well, I tried to show it to Giroro Goucho, but he threatened to choke me with it, and Kirere-chan wanted to know if she could disassemble it and put a motor in it, which was tempting, but I—"

Keroro stopped, and his eyes fell upon Fuyuki once more. Fuyuki, again leaned over his desk, flipping through pages of the large, dusty tome.

"What's this about, anyway? What could be more interesting than the most perfect example of Gunpla ever fashioned?" he muttered in mild annoyance, reaching up on his tip-toes and grabbing hold of one of the books. "…Dinosaurs of the Amazon? Gero?"

"…We were talking about it in Occult Club last week…" Fuyuki explained, his eyes not leaving the page for a moment as he spoke. "There are rumors that dinosaurs have managed to survive all these years in jungles like the Amazon! Did you know they're still finding hundreds of new species every year there, Gunso? Species of animals they didn't even know about!"

"Well, why doesn't Fuyuki-dono try to find one, then?" Keroro asked, taking a seat and opening the book. No pictures. This was already lost on him.

"It'd be near-impossible, the jungles are so dense, and full of all sorts of dangers… It'd be impossible to navigate… Dozens of explorers have gone missing over the years… Percy Fawcett and a bunch more…. But it'd be the discovery of the century if someone actually managed to find one. Just think, Gunso, a real-life dinosaur…" Fuyuki replied with a longing and distant sigh. "It'd be nice though, right, Gunso? Gunso?"

And now it was Keroro's turn to vanish, leaving behind his Gunpla on top of the open book.

"It was worth venturing through the city in order to get these books for Lupapa-dono!" Dororo said with a cheerful smile as he finished tying the last package. "Even if I'm not that familiar with the Akibahara district…. Is there anything I can bring you back, Koyuki-dono?"

"I don't think so, but maybe if there's a new kind of weapon that we could train with!" she replied with a smile. "Dororo always gets so happy when it's time to visit his girlfriend!"

Dororo turned red at the mere mention of this phrase, and returned to packing, "And it would be untrue to say that this is one of the times I don't very much mind going unnoticed by Keroro-kun and everyone…."

He continued this cheerful packing, and the cheer ended when he felt a cold rush enter the room. It was one of impending dread… Not Kururu-dono or Chunini-dono, but something perhaps equally sinister.

"Dororo~!" Keroro called out. "Are you home?!"

"Oh, it's Dororo's friend!" Koyuki said happily, hurrying to the door and allowing Keroro entrance.

Dororo spun around in surprise, "K-Keroro-kun!"

"Ohhh… Dororo's off to see Lupapa-chan, right?"

"W-Well, yes… It's my turn to visit…. I… I didn't think Keroro-kun would notice, though!" Dororo answered, shifting in front of the large brown package. This sudden interest in him should have made Dororo elated, but all he felt from it was doom and suspicion.

"Ahh, with lots of nice things for Lupapa-chan and her family! Those look heavy, maybe you should have someone go with you to help you carry them, Dororo! An injured assassin is no good at all!"

"I-I manage just fine! I always do, really!"

"That sounds like it'd be a lot of fun, actually, Dororo!" Koyuki admitted.

"Is Koyuki-dono going with Dororo to the rain forest?"

"Not this time—I promised Natsumi-san we could have a sleepover! But Dororo understands!"

"Gero, well… As your superior, I'd just like to let you know that it'd be my honor to help you, Dororo!" Keroro added, clasping his hands together. He was practically looming over the ninja, now.

"I-I should be all right, I…"

"That might be nice, Dororo! It's been a while since Lupapa got to see the rest of your friends!"

"And if Lupapa-dono's going to be family one day, why not get her used to our presence now while it's early?" Keroro added.

"….I feel as though I'm losing a battle, here…."

"We'll get the ship together; I'll tell Giroro and everybody else to start packing!"

"E-EH!?"

"…You're all here…" Lupapa blinked with surprise at the motley group. Keroro, an excited Fuyuki, Tamama, Kirere, Giroro….

"Well, almost. Kururu said he didn't travel anywhere that didn't pick up a satellite signal," Keroro sighed.

"Then… Where's Dororo….?" she asked, scanning the group.

"G-Gero?" Keroro's eyes flew open. Tamama and Kirere exchanged panicked looks with one another, and Giroro spoke to Keroro slowly and evenly, doing everything to hold the little composure he possessed.

"Keroro…. Did you tell Dororo when we were leaving, exactly?"

"….I'm not really a person to coordinate plans that well…." Keroro sighed. "But at least I'm aware of my few weaknesses, and the first step is acknowledging, right?"

"He'll be here soon!" Kirere exclaimed to Lupapa hopefully.

"Y-Yeah, he probably just caught another flight, is all!" Tamama added in reassurance.

Lupapa remained there for a moment, and then sighed, turning around and leading them to the village, "I'll make sure you have somewhere to stay while he arrives."

"…And there'll be hell for Gunso-san when he does…" Tamama added in a murmur, and Kirere nodded gravely.

"Lupapa Goucho, I was wondering if you'd ever seen one of these before!" Fuyuki rushed ahead, stopping and holding out a blurry picture to Lupapa.  
She looked it over for a moment, while Giroro, ever the skeptic, rolled his eyes and snorted, "They've been dead for millions of years. This is a waste of—"

"Yes, actually," Lupapa replied, much to Giroro, as well as the rest of the group's, shock. "…I can have Marco bring you one…"

"R-Really!?" Fuyuki gasped excitedly.

"All right, I'm gonna get to ride a dinosaur!" Kirere chirped happily.

"…And if it eats her, no one will be to blame… It'll all just be an accident… She's pretty prone to them, after all," Tamama added, a small smile crossing his lips.

"I can't wait!" Fuyuki exclaimed, and looked over to Keroro. "Gunso, thanks! This… This'll be the discovery of a lifetime!"

"Gero… Anything for Fuyuki-dono, no matter how difficult, is worth for our friendship…" Keroro replied, scratching the back of his head and looking away coyly.

"…All right, Keroro… What is this really about?" Giroro asked with a sigh as the two fell back a bit from the rest of the group.

"Simply wanting to help out a friend, Giroro Goucho. Just as you simply put up with Suzuyama-san to put a smile on Kirere-chan's face, or put up with Natsumi-dono's being Natsumi-dono on account of your undying lo—"

"It's never that easy with you and you know it!" Giroro snarled, cutting Keroro off before he could finish. "So what's this really about?"

"Gero… A dinosaur army…"

"W-What?"

"Think about it. Dinosaurs ruled this planet long before Pekoponians ever did. With their immense, brutal fighting power, matched with Kururu Soucho's animal-to-Pekoponian gun…"

"T-That soldier would be unstoppable!"

"Exactly!" Keroro grinned.

"K-Keroro, this… This actually sounds like an idea I could get behind! And just when my faith in you was truly wavering!"

"Gero gero ge~" Keroro's smile widened as Giroro rushed ahead to the source of Kirere's screams—The little girl had come face-to-face with an Amazonian spider, and was less than thrilled about the nightmare-inducing arachnid that matched in her size. "…A find like this would be worth and entire Gunpla factory and more…. All problems would be solved…."

"Marco!" Lupapa called out as they reached the Amazon village, and the one young boy from the gang of children playing soccer in the middle of the village left his friends, rushing over to his aunt. She held up the same photo that Fuyuki had shown her before, and handed it to him.

"Did you want me to find of these, Auntie?" he asked, looking above the photo to her. "Wait, where's Mr. Boyfriend?"

"He's on a different flight. Do you think you could find them a tegu and bring it back? It's a little too big for me to carry."

"Sure!" he nodded. "I'll be back in just a little bit!"

"Will… Will he really be all right like that?" Giroro wondered.

"He's fine, tegu are calm, for the most part…" Lupapa explained. "Come on, you can stay with Marco and his mother while you're here."

"Is that where Dororo stays?" Kirere asked, following beside Lupapa.

"No, he's usually with m—" and Lupapa stopped, feeling the eyes on her. She hopped up onto the porch of the hut and motioned for them to enter, her face now a bit red and her eyes looking down at the wooden floor. "…Watch your step…"

"The rain forest must make Dororo more outgoing, it would seem…" Keroro said to himself.

"Why aren't you acting all weird in this weather, Gunso-san?" Tamama asked.

"I've been wondering that, too, Keroro," Giroro admitted. "This weather would usually be playing tricks on your mind about now."

"Gero, well, a newer version of Kururu Soucho's device to make me more sedate…. It's actually all in my helmet! It cost a bit, true, but now Kirere-san will be able to go to a great college when she grows up!"

"You think I'll be able to go to college!?" Kirere gasped in delight.

"You think she'll be able to go to college?" Tamama snorted.

"H-How much was that, exactly?" Giroro was almost afraid to hear an answer.

"Money will be a worry of the past, Giroro Goucho. Don't worry yourself about it."

"Auntie! I got it! I'd hurry, though, because this one's mad!" Marco called out.

"Already!?" Fuyuki exclaimed. "Gunso, come on!"

"Gladly, Fuyuki-dono!"

And both were the first one, and the first two to see Marco with the four-foot-long lizard writhing lazily in his arms, doing its best to attack but only looking lost in the process.

"That's a dinosaur?! It's so cute!" Kirere exclaimed. "Can I ride it, now!?"

"…Maybe Kiichi shouldn't get so excited for college…."

"This is what you meant, right? A tegu?" Marco let go of the lizard, and it flopped on its belly. Kirere and Tamama both went down to examine the thing, and Kirere giggled as its tongue flicked out.

"That tickles!" she giggled as the tongue reached up and licked her on the face.

"Lupapa! Is… Is that safe?" Giroro asked worriedly.

"It should be. It only eats small things like birds or mice…"

"That's…. Not really what I had in mind, Lupapa Goucho…." Fuyuki admitted with embarrassment.

"You… You mean it's not a dinosaur?" Keroro's shoulders slumped.

"No, but they make good pets, I've heard!" Marco answered. "Mama wouldn't let me keep one after it mistook Auntie for a fish!"

"GAH! It's got my TAIL! Get it off, get if OFF!"

"N-No, you stupid lizard! I wanted you to eat Kiichi, don't come after me, too!"

"K-Kirere! Hold on, I'm coming!"

Kirere sniffed as Giroro finished bandaging off her tail, and wiped her eyes with her bandaged hand. Tamama looked in equally sore shape, although he'd been the one to ultimately defeat the lizard, punching it out cold.  
The entire group looked a bit downhearted, sitting in the middle of the wooden shack.

"We'll find one, Fuyuki-dono, just you watch!" Keroro reassured Fuyuki. The boy sat with his book out in front of him, reading over the information again.

"Lupapa said that there's nothing of the size he's talking about in the jungle," Giroro replied with a sigh, taking a sip of his water bottle—It was quickly becoming one of many, piled up behind him. He looked over to Kirere, and handed her a water bottle. "I hope that this teaches you that not everything is as nice as Suzuyama's dog, Kirere."

"Yeah," she muttered, taking a long swig of the water bottle.

"Sorry I'm late with dinner," Lupapa's presence became known at the sound of the wooden hanging beads in front of the door, and she entered with a large platter of food.

"Ohhhh, that looks delicious, Lupapa-dono!" Keroro gasped in delight.

"What is it?" Tamama wondered. On the large platter was something that looked like shredded beef, with rice and beans around it.

"Capybara," she replied, taking a seat in the circle with them. "I learned the recipe from a man who was visiting from Venezuela. Marco and I caught it this afternoon, and he decided it should be cooked up for you since you're our guests."

"This… This is wonderful-tasting!" Keroro said after taking a cautious bite of it.

Tamama followed with the same caution, although upon a few chews, it was clear he found it equally delicious-tasting.

"Oh, there is something I think I could ride that wouldn't try to eat me!" Kirere said cheerfully through the meal to her father. "It looked like a big dog, with a funny face!"

"I remember that, it was in a pen when we got here!" Tamama added.

Lupapa looked a bit confused by this, "You mean the capy—" she stopped, looked down at the platter, and set her bowl down. "…Excuse me… I… I have to go get something…"

And she hurried out, wondering how she was going to find another capybara in the dead of night.

"Wonder what that was about?" Tamama asked aloud.

"Ahhh, probably just Dororo showing up! Those two seem to be like that—Good for Dororo. Good for him."

"That won't be good for you when he gets here, you know," Giroro reminded him in a stern warning.

"R-Right… Well, it's a long flight, so perhaps some of the anger would have worn off by then? Right?" Keroro looked around, half-hoping for agreement. He found none, only silent platoon mates dining on capybara.

Later that night, most of the lights in the other huts were out. This included Marco and his mother's hut. Both slept in the back of the room, while Keroro and the rest of the visitors slept towards the front.

And it was in the middle of the night Keroro awoke to see Fuyuki reading his book underneath the moonlight of the lone, glass-less window of the hut.

"Fuyuki-dono is still awake, even at this hour?"

"S-Sorry, Gunso…" Fuyuki replied with a quiet laugh, shutting the book. "I'm just wondering if it's actually true, is all… Lupapa Goucho knows all about these forests, she'd know if there'd be something so big or not living here, right?"

"Gero, you have to keep faith, Fuyuki-dono! Lupapa-dono can't possibly know everything about such a big place! Much like, even with the immensity of our underground base, I'm not quite certain everything that Kururu Soucho has done to it over the years…. There are still so many surprises…. So many dark, horrible surprises…."

"G-Gunso?"

"No, my not fac-! S-Sorry, Fuyuki-dono… I… I suppose Kururu's ideas of practical jokes have given us each a bit of our own traumas over the years…."  
"Maybe we could look again in the morning!" Fuyuki said, newfound hope in his voice now. "Just because it's impossible doesn't always mean it's impossible!"

"Exactly!" Keroro replied in a hushed, excited voice.

"Haha…. Thanks, Gunso. I almost lost my faith for a moment there. We'll go looking again in the morning!" he set aside his book and rolled over. "Goodnight, Gunso."

"Good night, Fuyuki-dono…" he yawned, laying down and shutting his own eyes.

And this worked out perfectly until just before sunrise. Keroro found himself awoken by a small, beeping noise. From beneath his helmet he pulled out a small watch and yawned, "…That's right, my alarm's still set for Japan's time zone and the Admiral Geroro rerun…. I can just have it taped…" he yawned and started to nod back off to bed. The loud growling noise awoke him suddenly, however, and he looked about, his eyes darting around for the source of the noise. "G-Giroro, do you hear that? Giroro?" he leaned over and lifted up one of the flaps of Giroro's helmet, only to find him wearing noise-blocking earphones. "…Of course…."

Keroro sighed and looked out the window, climbing on top of Tamama to do so.

"Oh, really, Gunso-san~?" Tamama's voice muttered in his sleep as Keroro attempted to look out the window at the dark looming figure in the distance of the jungle. Tamama rolled over and, as a result, Keroro lost his balance and fell, landing right next to Tamama. "…This is more realistic than my dreams usually are…" Tamama continued with a sigh, latching onto and hugging Keroro.

"…I don't have time to question this," Keroro said to himself, and wriggled his way out of Tamama's grasp and out the door of the hut.

The green frog watched it in the distance—A hulking, shadowy figure. Another mournful cry. It could only be one thing.

"F-Fuyuki-dono's dinosaur!" he whispered in awe, stopping just short of the forest edge. He watched it continue on in the dark, and Keroro cautiously entered in, after the monster.

When he was several steps into the darkness, the crispy damp leaves beneath him flew up, temporarily disorienting him. The tall trees were upside down, now. No, he was.

He was trapped, in a net. And this net was cut down and tossed into an old burlap bag before he could even begin to scream for help.


	68. Keroro & Fuyuki: Rain Forest Secret Pt2

Whew, part two! Hope I didn't keep ya'll waiting too long. ^^' Odd fact is…. This original idea was conceived back in March, and it hasn't strayed for it since. Some of you will see exactly how that fact has become a bit, well… Eerie, for me…. I'm thinking next episode, someone wins the lottery. XD; Anyway, please enjoy!~

Episode 33:  
Keroro and Fuyuki: The Secret of t he Rain Forest!  
Part 2:

"Gunso! Gunsoooo!"

"Keroro! Keroro, where are you, you idiot?!" Giroro snapped. "…That idiot probably tried to go into town on his own, knowing him… Probably looking for some supplies for his asinine hobbies…."

"Ojiisan!" Kirere shouted. "Ojiisan, are you here!?"

"You haven't found him yet?" Lupapa jumped out from the heavy tree brush, landing in front of the small band.

"No…." Fuyuki turned to Lupapa, a worried look on his face. "Gunso! Gunso, where are you?!"

A single shuriken burst through the leaves, lodging itself in one of the trees. And from the brush above jumped out Dororo, looking tired, jetlagged, and annoyed. Above all, however, he looked ready to battle.

"I've come to speak with Keroro-kun," he said in a stern, even voice. Giroro gave a sigh at this, his head bowing a bit.

"…I'm afraid your justice will have to wait, Dororo. The fool went missing this morning…"

"W-What?" Dororo's cranky expression immediately faded, now seeing the severity of the situation, and he rose from his battle stance.

"Gunso-sannnnnn!" Tamama called out, and took a moment to sniff and wipe his eyes.

"…We'll find him…." Kirere said quietly with reassurance to Tamama, and looked to Giroro. "….Right, Dad?"

"…After all of the times he could've been lost and hasn't, we won't lose him this time," Giroro answered.

"See?" Kirere smiled to Tamama. "We'll find him!"

"Auntie!" Marco's huffing and bare feet against the twigs and leaves of the forest could be heard not too far off, and it wasn't long before the boy was with the rest of the group, swallowing the air around him to regain his breath. "I… I think I found something!"

"Where, Marco?"

"Follow me!" he took off again, Lupapa and Dororo following quickly, the rest struggling to catch up.

Marco brought them to the edge of the forest, and the remains of the hanging rope… And on the ground, the red, star-shaped crest-unmistakably Keroro's.

"…What's this mean?" Fuyuki asked, his eyes focused on the crest in Lupapa's hand.

She glanced down at the leaves, and took a small gulp, "…That he might be in trouble…"

"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo, ariá raiô, obá obá! Ooooo…."

"Cale a boca!" a snarl, and the hanging cage Keroro was in was sent spinning by the gruff man. The animals around Keroro responded to this with growls, howls, and chirps. The monkeys in the cage next to Keroro attempted to reach out to the green alien, but Keroro kicked this away, and responded with a howl of his own. And this led to another hit of the cage.

"Stupid Pekoponian…. NYA!" Keroro made a face at the monkey in the cage beside him, and the monkey, in turn, stomped on the ground of his tiny, precariously stacked cage in rage.

Birds. Lizards. Snakes. Frogs (of the non-alien variety). Monkeys. Even a sad-looking puma in one cage, towards the back. These were all packed in the same small shed. All along with Keroro. Keroro, who'd been caught. Keroro, who didn't understand anything or anyone around him. What was being said, what was going on. None of it.

"Let me out of here! Let me out! I demand it!" he snapped, tugging on the bars of his cage. This time, a beer can was thrown at his tiny prison. Keroro yelped, and jumped to the back of the cage in response to this.

The man gave one more scowl at Keroro, and then turned away from him, and left the small, dingy room, shutting off the light behind him.

"Gero… This does look like trouble…" Keroro sighed and huffed. He laid down on floor of the cage, looking down at the newspaper lining and attempting to read over it. But he couldn't. "…Not even the comics, huh? Well, maybe check up on the finance section…. I can't help but pray for rescue, but at the same time, there will be the embarrassment of being captured by the enemy… This wouldn't be the first time it had happened to me, but this Pekoponian makes Natsumi-dono look kind in comparison."

"…You talk an awful lot."

"Papa was always fond of telling me that, too… G-GERO!?"

"Shh! Keep quiet!" the voice replied sharply, while Keroro continued to sputter in shock. A woman's voice. In the dark now, it was too difficult for Keroro to make out her shape, but she was small, about his size… And speaking in Keronese. An arcane form, but Keronese, all the same.

She climbed over the cage, expertly, until she'd reached the padlock. It shown in the dark, taking in the little bit of moonlight and allowing it to reflect on the woman's features.

"Lu… Lupapa-dono?!" Keroro gasped.

And at the sound of Lupapa's name, the Keronian woman stopped to a stunned halt, looking up at Keroro with her large blue eyes. It was as if he'd sent a bolt of electricity through her with just a name.

Giroro stopped in mid-run, panting heavily, with his hands on his needs. Fuyuki, too, had stopped to rub the pain in his side that had formed from the running. Lupapa and Dororo halted their jumping through the trees in search of the missing Keronian soldier when Marco called out to them.

"I don't think they're used to all of this running, Auntie…" he suggested, looking down at the near-fainted Kirere.

"…I… I can't feel things….." Tamama panted. "I… I know I do a lot of training… But not distance-running!"

"….We'll continue on…" Lupapa sighed, and glanced to Dororo. "Are you all right to?"

"Of course," Dororo nodded. "We can't quit now, we're close, I can sense it!"

"W-Wait, I can make it!" Fuyuki exclaimed, holding out his hand for them to pause. "Just… Give a me a second!"

"You'll slow us down, in this condition, and you'll only hurt yourself if you continue on," Lupapa answered, hopping down from her low-hanging tree branch. "We'll find him for you."

"But Gunso's… Gunso's my friend… I can't leave him!" Fuyuki exclaimed.

"We'll take care of it!" Lupapa reassured him, and hopped back up to her branch beside Dororo. "Your friend wouldn't want you to injure yourself!"  
Fuyuki watched them take off again, and stood there a moment. And then he took off again, running.

"W-Wait!" Marco shouted, and then sighed, and looked back to Giroro, Tamama, and Kirere. He knew he couldn't let Fuyuki go…. But at the same time, he had the three Keronians to look after, as well….

"…This Pekopon living's put me out of shape, damn it…." Giroro growled.

"…Auntie's going to be so mad…" Marco moaned.

"GAH—Ugh…." The sounds Keroro made as he hopped out of the cage and proceeded to fall flat on his face, right on the old concrete of the shack. He then watched as the Keronian woman went around to the other cages, quickly opening the locks to these. Keroro could hear her more than he could see her, still. The sounds of birds cawing, paws skittering along the floor… Keroro gave a cold shiver as he felt a snake slither past him, brushing up against one of his legs.

And the door to the room opened, and the man, the poacher, gave out a yell of surprise. The wild birds rushed for the door immediately, fluttering about and scratching his face, and, as he held up his hands to guard himself, his palms, too.

She waited for this moment to open the puma's cage. And she yelled for Keroro to follow her. Seeing the only other option was the puma, he did so, running underneath the man's legs and rushing out the room, then out the shack of a building.

They were in the city, Keroro could see this now… What city it was, he couldn't be sure….

"I…. I don't have my indivisibility… This… This could be a problem…." he muttered, stopping to gaze up at the large, brightly-lit skyscrapers.

"Just keep low, then!" she whispered, ducking behind a car and looking about cautiously. A parrot flew past them, recently freed from the poacher. Keroro gave a brief yelp of surprise at this, his yell almost mimicking the parrot's.

"…And what will we do now?" Keroro whispered, having ducked down behind her.

"I… I don't know…"

"Ah, good, you don't know! W-Wait, you don't know!?" he yelped.

"I… Didn't plan for this far…" she admitted.

"Then why…."

"I just went to visit my sister, I felt bad for you when I saw you get caught!" she admitted.

"…Sister….?"

Her eyes flashed at the sound of yelling, "C-Come on!" she shouted out, grabbing him by the hand and practically dragging him behind her.

"W-Wait! Wait!" Keroro yelped as she dragged him out into the middle of one of the small alleys.

"What?!" she snapped, spinning around.

"Where… Where are we going?"

Again, silence from her.

Thunder clapped, and she shuddered at this. Keroro was too busy looking out at the rain to take note of her reaction to it. The rain came down in a zigzag herd on the tin roof they'd sought shelter underneath. She'd managed to find them a place to hide in the storm, just on the outskirts of town, in a small, abandoned house. And now both sat on the windowsill, watching the downpour.

"Gero… Not even a dinosaur would be out in this weather…" Keroro muttered grimly. He know only looked to the Keronian woman, who shook at the sound of the heavy thunder. "Eh? Are you?…"

"I… I'm fine…" she reassured him. "I just… I never liked loud noises….."

"So… You're… Lupapa-dono's sister…? Gero, you must be ancient… Pururu-chan will want to know your secrets…. Even at her age she's starting to get wrinkles…."

"I-I'm not that old!" she snapped back. There was a lot of Lupapa in her, indeed. Keroro saw this, and instinctively flinched away. He then saw the anger transform into something different. Her eyes softened. She looked away, looked down at the dirt ground.

The rain continued as she began to speak.

"….My brothers, sisters, and I… We all came here a long, long time ago… We got money after what happened to Nee-chan. We put it all towards going to the mysterious planet where she'd vanished with the rest of her platoon so long ago…."

"…Pekopon…."

A nod from her, "We were going to follow her direct path, and find her… We'd… Seen where she'd been alive. And we were told she was impossible to find, but we all tried, anyway. We'd already lost our parents… We weren't going to lose Nee-chan, too. We're a family, and that's what you do in one. You stay together…. So we got a ship, without the government knowing. One of my sisters got it…. We got the coordinates from military records… And we were all set to go… And then, the night before…"

"…The night before…?"

"I… I went to go put some things on the ship, a few of my toys that I wanted to bring with me, but my sister told me I couldn't… And I saw him. A Keronian in a white jacket… He was doing something with the machines… I was so little, I ran off, scared… I wanted to tell everyone else, but I knew I'd get in trouble for having been on there when I wasn't supposed to be, in the first place… So I kept quiet…."

"Gero, how mysterious…."

"We were supposed to wake up as soon as we got there… He changed that, so that we woke up just a few years ago on Pekopon. We've been spread out ever since then, looking for Nee-chan, hoping she'd be alive… And now I know she is…" a smile grew across her face. "So now she can be with the rest of us, again!"

"Gero, and Lupapa Goucho can live with everyone happily in the rain forest! How nice!"

"N-no… We… We're going to go back to Keron. We all know some time's passed, but that's our home. We'll adjust like we did there. And we'll all be together again, finally!"

Keroro looked sideways and muttered, "…That might not be as easy as she believes it…."

"What?"

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all, Lupapa-dono's-sister-dono! It's just… How do you know Lupapa-dono would be all right with a return to Keron?"

"Because she's Nee-chan. She's always done for us… So when she finds out about us, we'll finally be able to do for her! She worked so hard to be with us again, I… I just couldn't imagine why she wouldn't want to be with us," she giggled at this, "And you can call me Doruru…"

And Keroro thought back to where he had heard this name before. And then it struck him…. The Dark version of himself, Shivava, and….

"Is… Something wrong?" Doruru asked, leaning forward and studying the haunted look on Keroro's features.

"E-Eh, no, no!" he laughed and waved this off. "I just… Remembered someone with a similar name, i-is all, Dolulu-dono!"

"Doru—"

"It... It's easier for me to say it like that," he replied with a cheery smile. Both turned towards the darkened forest at the sound of…. Neither were sure, really… And then Keroro recognized it. That same cry from before. The mournful one.

"Fuyuki-dono's dinosaur!" Keroro gasped, hopping off of the windowsill, leaving Doruru alone on it.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?! We have to find Nee-chan!" she yelped, scurrying to follow him.

"To get the dinosaur!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"You, you'll just hurt—AH!"

"…Your friend was here…." Lupapa lifted up a feather from the ground, and looked about the small room, where previously the animals had been tightly caged in. And she stood now, a parrot resting atop her head. Dororo, too, had two songbirds on him; one had taken up residence on top of his helmet, the other on his shoulder.

"That's amazing! But how can you tell, Lupapa-dono?"

"That Pekoponian's shaking in fear at the sight of us," she replied, nodding to the poacher, curled up with a face of silent horror.

"…Keroro-kun does have that affect on people…" Dororo sighed. "Are you certain it's all right to just appear like this in front of him….?"

"They know me," a small smile came across her face, and the parrot flew off as she approached the man, arms open. "You've angered one of the ancient gods of the forest with your actions!"

"I…. I'm sorry, I'm sorry…." he sputtered. "How- How're you talking!?"

"It doesn't matter!" she snapped. "Where did he go, the green forest spirit?!"

"T-The loud one? He and the other purple one l-left… T-They released everything… And they left…"

"The other purple one?" Dororo repeated, blinking. The surprise washed briefly over Lupapa, as well, but she quickly refocused, and took a step closer towards the man, who, in response, scooted back into the corner of the wall. He found he could go no further, however, and watched her intensely.

"The forest spirit says, quit this… Your mother clearly wanted you to go into another route, go that way! Listen to your mother!"

"R-Right! Mama wanted me to be a chef!"

"Then find some schools, and make her proud! And never do this… Again…" Lupapa turned away from him, and hopped up through the opened window, busted open by the many animals that had escaped.

"H-Have a good day!" Dororo gave a cheerful small bow, and followed Lupapa out.

"…Another purple one…?" she murmured, her head tilted downward. What could that mean?

"Lupapa-dono?..."

"I… I'm fine… We have to figure out which way he went from there…"

"Hrm?" Dororo lifted the songbird down from the top of his head and smiled. "…I think maybe they'll be of some help!"

"D-Don't tell me you understand what it's saying to you!"

"Keroro-kun makes a strong impression on no matter who he meets, no matter how small, or what species! I think this little one's trying to tell us he went in that direction…"

"…I suppose at this point there's no other option but to take the word of a bird… All right, let's go!"

"I… I'll be fine, really," Doruru reassured him, although she limped along. She'd tripped over a root while attempting to follow after Keroro, and had taken a tumble in the process.

"I-If you're positive, Doruru-dono…." he looked down at the injured foot. He shot his head over as he heard the low growl, and, at the same time, from a different direction, running.

The sounds of the leaves and twigs breaking underneath was become louder, and quicker. And whatever it was burst through the brush suddenly, terrifying both Keroro and Doruru.

"Fu—Fuyuki-dono!?" Keroro yelped with shock as the mystery creature revealed itself to be none other than his friend.

"I... I thought I'd never see you again, Gunso!" Fuyuki panted. The rain had subsided now, and the three sat on a fallen tree, Doruru with her injured foot propped up.

"So Dororo's here…. Perhaps being on the lam isn't so bad, afterall…" Keroro mused.

"It sounds like a lot of people are worried about you," said Doruru with surprise. She then flinched, having moved her leg a bit.

"Are you all right, Doruru-san?" Fuyuki looked past Keroro, and she brushed his off.

"I'll be fine…" she muttered.

"Oh! Gunso! Here!" he reached in his pocket, and Keroro immediately brightened at the sight of the familiar crest. "Nee-chan always makes me take an extra, even with the one I use to understand Lupapa Goucho's family!"

"…Natsumi-dono may be on to something…. While she'll never know it herself, she wins this round…." he muttered gravely.

"We should really get back! Lupapa Goucho would be happy to see her sister! That's unbelievable!" Fuyuki laughed. While he said this, though, Doruru's expression was sullen.

"…Doruru-dono….?"

"It's just…. I waited all this time to see her… I won't know what to say…" she muttered.

"Hello's always a good start! I usually start my conversations with either that or "no, not the face"!"

"Haha, Gunso…. It's all right, Doruru-san. Lupapa Goucho's family is really friendly!"

"I hope you like eating… I swear I always leave weighing an extra kilo…" Keroro muttered, placing a hand on his stomach and patting it. "Dororo's going to have to keep up the exercise regiment extra-hard, or he'll start looking like Mahihi-dono…"

"Dororo? Family?" Doruru blinked. "She has a family here?"

"Well, she was adopted by the people in the rain forest… She takes care of them!" Fuyuki answered. "Oh? Are you okay, Doruru-san?"

"I… I'm fine… I just didn't know…" she answered, a small smile appearing over her features. "So… Is Dororo a member of the tribe?"

"Haha, not exactly," Fuyuki laughed hesitantly, and Keroro joined in this.

"Gero?" Keroro turned around—Once more, that noise… It'd vanished, but it was back again… And joined by a small vibration of the rainforest floor…. Branches and twigs made groaning and snapping noises. Fuyuki turned around, frozen in fear with the other two. A shadow appeared from the dense forest… Large, dark…. Slow moving, but steady. And Fuyuki could barely roll out of the way in time, Doruru and Keroro in his arms, as a hefty foot appeared out of the brush, crushing the log they'd been sitting on only moments ago.

And the three watched in silent awe as it passed them, even Keroro silent by it.

It wasn't until it had lumbered past the three, the shaking on the ground faint, now.

"….Gunso…. Was that….?"

"I… I think so, Fuyuki-dono…."

Another period of a silence, and both began to laugh, while Doruru only frowned in confusion.

"…Boys are so weird…" she mumbled.

"I think I hear something!" Lupapa's voice in the distance. Doruru immediately shot her head up, a look of panic coming over her quickly.

"I… I have to go!" she exclaimed, limping away from the two.

"But wait, Doruru-dono! What about Lupapa-dono?" Keroro shouted out to her, holding a hand out for her to stop. But she didn't. She was gone already by the time Lupapa and Dororo jumped down from the tall trees.

"Are you both all right?" she asked immediately.

"Lupapa-dono! Dororo! How wonderful to see you both!" Keroro exclaimed, grinning.

"I'm still angered by your actions, Keroro-kun, but it's good to see you, as well!" Dororo replied, equally cheery.

"Ah, and your worry for me has made you forget about my transgression!"

"Haha, not in the slightest! You've still incurred my wrath, Keroro-kun! But I assure you, the consequences will be fair but just!"

"…Gero…"

"Let's get you both back… Everyone's been looking for you…" Lupapa sighed with relief, letting to two walk ahead of them. "Go straight from there! It's a few hours' walk back to the village!"

Lupapa was left with Dororo, who had seated himself on the floor of the forest, knees up to his chin.

"Keroro-kun always enjoyed scaring us like this…. I… I couldn't help but remember one such time, when I felt this equal an amount of anger with him… It was the day of the school picnic…" he muttered. The beginnings of trauma-mode, Lupapa knew this well, by now. He could go so quickly from cheery to this mode…

From her spot, hidden in the rain forest brush, Doruru could watch her sister bend down, and although Lupapa's face was in front of Dororo's, Doruru could make out what she was doing. And as Lupapa stood again, Dororo shakily stood as well, his face reddened.

"I'm glad that works so well," she smiled quietly to Dororo.

"Yee-haw! Go, go, go!" Kirere called out cheerfully, riding atop the slow-moving, lazy capybara as if it were a pedigree stallion. The creature moved but an inch in return, although Kirere thought it a thrilling ride. "Dad, can I take this home!? I promise it can stay in my room!"

"A-Absolutely not!"

"…Auntie, why's she riding dinner….?"

"S-Shh, Marco!" Lupapa hissed, and then returned to her spot in the middle of the village, by the fire, where Fuyuki and Keroro sat side-by-side, eating the large meal that had been prepared for them. Keroro seemed towards the end of his meal, his stomach stuffed and the Keronian laid out on the ground, giving a small groan.

"I'm glad having so many friends in different countries has allowed for so many good meals…" Keroro mumbled, followed by a hiccup.

"I'm sorry that you didn't find what you were coming for," Lupapa said to the duo.

Keroro craned his neck up and smiled, "But Lupapa-dono, we—" a hand was quickly placed over his mouth, and Fuyuki kept it there as the boy began to speak in Keroro's place.

"That's all right, we still got an adventure out of it!" Fuyuki replied. "Plus… If there were dinosaurs here, they'd probably want to stay hidden! A lot of people would be wanting to bother you if they found out any lived here, and it would be wrong to take it from its home in the rain forest, in the first place!"

A small smile came across Lupapa's face. She understood, "…That's the best way to look at it…"

" ….But, Fuyuki-dono… What about…?" Keroro sat up as Lupapa left the two alone, and Fuyuki looked to Keroro.

"It would be a great find to share, Gunso… But I guess some times things are better left on their own…. Maybe someday the world will be ready for it… But not right now…" Fuyuki answered, smiling. "Plus… It really wouldn't be fair to separate it from its family…"

"I suppose not… But it looks like I'm out a lot of money, then…." Keroro sighed, and glanced across the camp to Giroro. He was still trying to explain to Kirere why she couldn't keep the large tropical rat as a pet. "…I might have to do some hiding of my own, in the next few days…. Eh?"

"What's wrong, Gunso? Gunso?"

Keroro didn't answer. He only hopped up, headed to the thick forest brush. Fuyuki followed quickly behind, determined not to lose his friend again.  
"She's really doing great, huh?" Doruru whispered, pointing out through the brush. Fuyuki and Keroro were stunned by the sight of several more Keronians with her now, all adults, as well.

"She has a boyfriend…" muttered the pink one, "…He's cute! Cuter than the last one, that's for sure…"

"I thought you said the green one was supposed to be cute, too…" muttered another female, a disappointed yellow one, now shifting her eyes to Keroro.

"…What makes him think he can just go dating my sister?!…. And you! If you want to date my other one, you're going to have to ask me, first!" snapped a male Keronian this time, a wild-looking brown one. "Doruru's the baby of the family, like hell I'll just let her date anyone without my approval! We've all been through too much!"

"…No one understands I'm a man married to my hobbies…." Keroro sighed, allowing his head to drop a bit.

"I-I didn't say that! I didn't say that!" Doruru snapped. "I… I just wanted to thank you both, is all! And quiet, Chishishi, I'll date who I want!"

"….I liked you better when you were a crybaby," Chishishi muttered, his arms folding.

"…Lay off her, Chishishi…" a red male sighed.

"You… You're all Lupapa Goucho's siblings!" Fuyuki gasped in amazement, noticing the yen-shaped symbols on each.

"Great! It'll be a big family reunion for Lupapa-dono!" Keroro exclaimed.

"Not… Quite yet…" the yellow Keronian woman answered.

"Nee-chan always put us first, in anything she did," Doruru explained, leaning against one of the tall forest trees. It was only now that Fuyuki and Keroro noticed her bandaged leg. "…And now… She's made a life for herself… We don't want her to throw it away because of us."

"We're going to let her be, for now…" another Keronian sibling spoke… A man, by his voice, but this was hard to tell, given the heavy, mouth-concealing jacket he wore. "We made the decision as a family. Some times the time just isn't right…. And we need to give our sister more time…. "

"So… You're still going back to Keron, without her?" Fuyuki asked.

"Now we didn't say that!" Chishishi smiled, revealing one sharp tooth hanging over the others. "We're just letting her go on with her life until we can figure out how to keep her from abandoning it all for us!"

"Our sister gave up a lot for us over the years…" the yellow sister spoke once more, and glanced through the bushes to Lupapa. "We want to be able to make sure that when we meet her… She doesn't go giving it all up for us…"

"So we're going to make a life for ourselves, now that we found her," a light gray male Keronian now spoke. Keroro's head was spinning from all of the siblings. "And let her know we're all right with our lives."

"So that when we do approach her…. She'll see we're okay," Doruru answered.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I wouldn't want my Nee-chan to worry about me, either," Fuyuki answered. "Do you know where you'll go, yet?"

"Not yet, and probably not far," Doruru replied, and glanced toward the small village. "…But we'll let you know!"

"…It's because Doruru-chan things your one friend's cute!" said the pink one slyly, and Doruru flushed and gave a very intense, very Lupapa-like glare to her older sister.

"We'll be around," the green eyes of the red Keronian flashed, and he turned from them. The others followed him, Doruru the last to leave.

And she looked back, once more, over her shoulder, to the village. And she frowned at the sight, now, she saw…. She could've sworn…

She shook this off, and looked to Keroro and Fuyuki, "We'll be in touch, and… Thank you… For helping show me Nee-chan's doing all right."

She left, and Fuyuki and Keroro walked back out to the group.

"Gunso… Do you think that Lupapa-dono will be all right meeting her siblings?"

"It's hard to say, but she seems strong…" Keroro answered. He then watched as Kirere rushed up to him, and gripped onto his hands.

"You outrank Dad! So can I take it home, please?"

"I-It doesn't work like that! In the military of our family I'm the highest rank!" Giroro stuttered.

Doruru watched this from her spot, hidden, and said nothing, only watched. Her eyes were off of her sister, now, off of the ensuing argument, and…. On the other small Keronian. The black one.

"…Was that you in the ship…. But…. How…?" she whispered.


	69. Chunini: Chu's Biggest Fan Pt1

Woah. Wait. What. Really?

Yup, really! Hope you guys enjoy this, too! And, um, surprise on having this out so quickly? X'D

Episode 34  
Chunini: Chu's Biggest Fan  
Part 1:

"….Karaoke, laughing at the commercials of homeless animals on television, drawing arguably amoral comics for amusement and profit… Miss Chu's lost interest in her usual hobbies…. I figured it best to next try some of her favorite places," Lee explained. "…None of her favorite shops did the trick, so I would assume I'd go for the next on my list."

"But our base?!" Giroro snapped, and slammed his foot down. "This isn't a hotel! She can't just lounge around here, acting depressed!"

"I'd rather have her depressed and in one spot than happy and doing who-knows-what…." Keroro mumbled.

"Could you say, keeping those trusted least closest?" Mois suggested.

"Kuku, I don't see you footing the electric bill, Senpai," Kururu turned back in his chair and laughed, while Giroro only grit his teeth and growled. "This is my base, I keep up the upkeep. So I can bring in, or…. Keep out…. Who I please… Kukuku!"

Chunini was laid out on the couch from the upstairs in the base, staring at the one particular screen showing a soap opera. Her face was blank, the buns on either side of her helmet uneven. There were tissues laid out on the ground about her, and she wore a blue silk bathrobe. At her side was the hollow remains of what had been a full boxed cheesecake wheel, but this was no more.

"I still had to bring the couch down here with Tamama!" Giroro growled, stomping on the ground and pointing to the couch that usually resided in the upstairs Hinata residence.

"…That one playing Kumiko's gotten so fat… Almost as fat as Lupa-chan is getting…." Chunini sighed the venomous words out nonchalantly, and Dororo flinched at this.

"Chunini-dono… You… You and Lupapa-dono don't have to continually be so harsh to one another…" he replied uneasily. "You're both very lovely women, and it isn't healthy to keep up a relationship like this!"

"Come on… We have things to get to… Those of us who realize this is still a base…" Giroro muttered, turning away. "Keroro! You, too!"

"R-Right!" Keroro nodded, turning his attention away from the television show. "…Why was I suddenly so drawn in to the emotions of these Pekoponian actors? Their emotions were my own, even thought it was merely a program… Further investigating is needed, perhaps…. Maybe this could lead to a future invasion strategy?"

"…I have several phone calls to make, Miss Chu," Lee left quickly, leaving Chunini alone with Kururu.

Kururu waited until the room was silent, save for the soap opera, to speak, "….Kuku! You don't usually come here without a purpose…. You and I both know that…." His glasses gave a small flash as he reminded her of this.

"Kuru-chan, you know as well as I do that you won't listen to my problems, even if they were the most interesting ones in the world…"

"Kuku! Probably not, but you can still talk. I've learned to drown out most people successfully, by now."

"…Well, this is a repeat episode, anyway… Kumiko dies at the end," she sighed, and sat up on the couch. "Well, it happened just a little while ago… I was putting on a performance, and it was my best yet…. Well, they're all my best yet, but… This one was special… I'd just bought new shoes… They weren't made of something endangered, like I'd originally wanted, but Lee assured me it was a threatened species… It was starting out to be a wonderful night…."

Two days ago:

"Thank you, thank you! This makes my humble heart so proud!" Lee stifled a chuckle from offstage at this—One thing Miss Chu wasn't was humble, even she knew this. Those new shoes said it. And Chu was currently drawing out her good-byes, and picking up presents the audience tossed to her… She was having the time of her life, but there was such a tight schedule to keep.  
Three more bows, and Chunini rushed off the stage, a large bouquet of roses in her arms. She tossed these to Lee and laughed, "They loved me, Lee!"

"They always do, Miss Chu," Lee nodded.

"And why wouldn't they? Ahh, and they're still cheering! How wonderful to go on stage and simply be adored for being there!" she giggled, hugging the plush bear in her arms. It was white, wearing an orange shirt that bore her name and heart stickers on it. "Here, you hold this," Chunini instructed the little girl beside Lee, handing her the bear, and then she continued on, coming to a quick halt only when she'd finished processing what she'd seen, then spinning around on the new high heels.

A young girl? Beside Lee?

She waited a moment, waiting for the hallucination to leave, but it didn't. It remained there, staring up at Chunini in quiet wonder and holding onto the bear.

Chunini looked her up and down, sizing her…. Maybe about ten in Pekoponian years? Eleven? Small, though, even If she was that age… Korean, light brown eyes, dark blue, nearly navy-colored hair, done up in two sloppy bunds. Was this in an attempt to emulate Chunini's style? Her pink skirt and white long-sleeved shirt looked too big for her, and her white shoes looked a little too small.

"Lee…. What's this?" she asked, pointing to the girl.

"That would be a child, Miss Chu."

"….I understand that, but…. Why is she here? Is she lost?"

"She won the contest that was held two months ago."

"C-Contest?"

Lee gave a nod, "A write-in contest. The winner would get to spend the day with you, and you would perform a song that they had written, as well…. She…. Showed up early."

Chunini snapped her head to Lee, and gaped, "You mean p-people really win those things?!"

"Apparently," Lee answered, pushing up her glasses. "I'll admit to my surprise, as well. The appropriate measures have already been taken with the people responsible for the contest. I still have a few friends left from my archery competition days who also happen to still be grateful to you for sponsoring their team in the Olympics a few years back. They'll see that something like this doesn't happen again."

"…Hello…." The little girl said quietly.

"Lee. Emergency meeting, if you would. In my office," Chunini said calmly, heading to her dressing room. Lee loosened her shirt collar, and followed, shutting the door behind her with a small sense of dread. She prayed this wouldn't end in another destroyed dressing room, like in Sydney.

She wasn't sure if that ban was still in effect, now that she thought about it.

This would be something to investigate, later on.

"I-I can't have a child around me, Lee! I'm anything but child-friendly! We have an important schedule to keep! And this will totally interfere with the twelve hours of beauty sleep I require! I only now managed to get myself off of Peru time! I'll look old in no time, at this rate! I can't look thirty, Lee! I'll start getting cast as peoples' mothers in drama guest spots! Their MOTHERS!"

"…This will look incredibly bad if we don't, Miss Chu," Lee replied sternly.  
Chunini sighed, "….You're right…. And then Sumomo-chan would just butt in and make me look like some sort of selfish, self-centered monster of some kind…. Take the kid to a theme park, probably…. The news would have a field day…. All right. Let's make this quick, then."

The door opened again, and Chunini looked down at the little girl, who had heard this entire conversation through the lightweight door, and now looked up at Chunini, dead silent and slightly intimidated.

"All right, let's go~!" Chunini said cheerfully, bouncing along. Lee nodded to the girl, and she followed Lee back to the limo. Chunini sat across from the little girl, a smile on her face…This wasn't the usual Chunini smile, however. This was a smile that stemmed from not knowing what else to do, and it looked more forced than usual on her.

"…I'm really happy to be here…" the little girl finally said quietly, looking down at her feet. Chunini's eyes traveled down to these, as well, and she noticed the hole forming in one.

"Lee… Call the manager of CLIQNO…. Tell him to open the store for us…." Chunini said to a surprised Lee after a moment of meditating on the sorry-looking shoes.

"But… It… It's one in the morning, Miss Chu… Right. I'll remind him we know where he lives, and also where his mistress lives," Lee nodded, and pulled out her cell phone. And while she began to talk, Chunini leaned forward, and spoke cheerfully to the little girl.

"We'll go on a shopping spree, all right? It'll be fun!"

"….I don't think I have the money for that…" she answered quietly, sinking back into her seat as Chunini moved closer to her.

Chunini waved this off, "It's no problem. I have enough. I don't know what to do with it, some times. I kept giving it away to those sad little animals each time I saw the commercials on the TV! That happened so much Lee had to block those commercials from my TV!"

Lee paused and gave a puzzled look at this in the midst of her phone call, but the little girl only gave a small giggle.

Chunini adjusted her dress and leaned forward in her seat, "So what's your name?"

"Jin-ae," she answered, and Chunini giggled, and looked to Lee.

"Aw, what a pretty name, isn't it, Lee?! Lee's first name is Min Jee!" Lee flinched outwardly at being referred to her first name, although her voice didn't change at all during this time. "…She doesn't like it very much, though… So your last name, it's…. Kim, Pak…?"

"They've opened the store for us, Miss Chu," Lee announced, shutting her phone. "And I've alerted the driver. We should be arriving shortly."

"Very good! And then we'll all get some sleep, and then we'll go out to breakfast!" Chunini stretched and yawned, and Jin-ae laughed a bit at this, as well, still in the same shy manner.

They pulled up to the store, the manager still in his pajamas and a bathrobe, looking sleep deprived and holding onto the keys.

"Lee will pay you for your time," Chunini announced, bounding straight past him. "Lee, get this man a check, a coffee—And a puppy!"

"A-A puppy?!" Lee repeated, following both in quickly. "B-But… Miss Chu… Where am I supposed to…?"

"All right, now… Whatever you like is yours, Jin-ae!" Chu held out her arms outstretched in the middle of the store. It'd been a while since she'd been able to show off like this, and she was clearly taking in every moment of it, her tiredness from the concert having subsided by now, replaced by a childlike excitement.

She watched as the young girl shuffled over to the clothing, and Lee approached Chunini as she watched the little girl. Lee pushed up her glasses and cleared her throat to make herself known to her boss, who now was focused on the little girl.

"…Technically, she should be with a guardian as well, Miss Chu… This could be trouble for both us and her parents later, her being out at this hour without their knowing…"

"You want me to do this, you don't want me to…. Lee, you have such a hard time making up your mind, some times!" Chunini giggled. "And that's nonsense—She must have gotten dropped off by someone! Somebody has to know where she is!"

"A taxi dropped her off," Lee answered. "….I know that you're under no obligation to, Miss Chu, but I suggest after this we place a call in to her parents, to let her know where she is and that she's safe."

"Mm…. I guess I just forget that parents care about things like that, some times…." Chunini sighed quietly. She and Lee watched as Jin-ae returned, her arms full of clothes much that were, like her others, much too large for her.

"I'll grow into them, this way," Jin-ae replied, gauging Chunini's confused expression and offering an explanation to the stunned singer.

"How much were you thinking of growing, Jin-ae?" Chunini replied, holding up one of the long dresses to herself and noting how much fell to the ground. She tossed this to Lee and took the little girl by the hand. "Come on, we'll find you some nice things you can fit into! Lee, take this for us, too, please!"

Before Lee could protest, she was handed the rest of the clothes, and Chunini rushed over to the children's section, holding Jin-ae's hand.

As the little girl shopped, Chunini occasionally wandered into the toddlers' department, glancing at certain tops and skirts.

"…They dress even the babies up like little adults now…. Less for me to have to hem later~," she said cheerfully to herself, lifting up one of the pink tops. She then spun around and turned to Jin-ae, "Your Mama and Papa will love all of these new outfits!"

"I guess so…." Jin-ae muttered.

"We can even call them and tell them about our fun trip!" Chunini added, and the girl only shrugged at this.

"They're probably asleep now… I think I finished…"

"Ohhh, you haven't even seen the shoes yet! And then there are accessories, and every girl needs a purse collection!" Chunini giggled, and Lee, from a distance, sighed and took a seat in one of the makeup counter stools.  
Her boss was having fun and showing off.

This would be a while.

Lee eventually fell asleep slumped in the makeup chair, and woke in a start up to Chunini announcing cheerfully in a shout that they had finished. The manager looked tired, with a cup of cold coffee in one hand and the wiggling puppy in his opposite arm. And Chunini walked out proudly with her purchases, Jin-ae following behind in a shuffle, now dressed in new, proper-fitting clothing and new shoes.

"…Miss Chu, it's rather early in the morning. Perhaps we should—"

"A nap would be a fantastic idea, Lee! Your ideas are always the best!" Chunini exclaimed, hopping into the back of the limo once more, Jin-ae sitting by her side now. "We'll go back for a little bit, and then get something nice to eat! Your parents wouldn't mind, right, Jin-ae?"

"No, they'd be fine with it," she answered.

"See?! They'll be fine with it, Lee!"

Lee only rubbed her ever-growing headache. Maybe a nap wouldn't be so bad, after all, she thought during the ride back to the condo.

"…You live in a hotel?" Jin-ae asked in awe as they stepped out of the limo, and looked up, and up… And continued to look up at the tall building.

"Haha, no, hotel life?! That's for only mid-range celebrities! I own a hotel, though, which is really impressive. It's in Hawaii. That's also really impressive, don't you think? No, this is my condo. It's my main base of operation, where I do most of my writing and performing. It even has its own studio! Lee lives here, too."

Jin-ae nodded, and followed the other two women in, and hopped into the elevator, her arms full of bags. Lee was still nodding off to sleep standing, and Chunini giggled at this.

"Lee's an old woman before her time!" Chunini giggled.

"I never got off of Peru time, is all, Miss Chu," Lee replied with a yawn. Lee pushed up her glasses and took the bags as they entered the condo, while Jin-ae was left to stare at the grandeur in wonder.

"…It's a palace…" she muttered in awe, gazing up at the crystal chandelier that greeted them. Ahead of her was a large living area, filled with posh, modern black and white furniture, with splashes of orange in the form of carpets, lamps, and pillows. And ahead of them, a large series of windows, overlooking Seoul.

"…I wanted something bigger, with a fountain, but Lee always chides me about my spending…" Chunini walked past the girl and stretched out her arms. "…Maybe a few more gold records, she'll finally let me buy that pony farm I always wanted… All of the poor people want ponies, but can't get them, so that makes me want some… That would be fun, right Jin-ae? Right?" she turned around, and the little girl had vanished.

"Jin-ae?" Chunini stuck her head in a few of the doors, and nothing… And then she found the young girl, already asleep in the middle of the large circular bed that was Chunini's, passed out amongst the many plush and pillows.

It was only now, when she crept up to the little girl, Chunini noticed a few tags still on the new clothing, and smiled. In her excitement, she'd forgotten to remove them. Kodada had done something similar, once, when Chunini had bought her her red helmet, the one with goggles on it…. Just like a real pilot. She'd been too excited to notice the tag still on there, it stayed on for days afterward….

"…Well, I'm not so used to the pampered life yet I forget what sleeping on a couch is like…" she giggled, and went in another room to change for a nap.

She and Lee both awoke to a crash, hours later, Chunini bolting up and pulling her covers around her and Lee rushing out of her own room, gun drawn. The bodyguard rushed to the sound, while Chunini trudged behind, still half-asleep, with her blanket wrapped around her.

Lee dropped her weapon to her side as soon as she found the source—A teapot smashed on the granite floor of the room that held Chunini's tea set collection, Jin-ae standing over it, tears in her eyes. It didn't take Chunini long to figure out what had happened—A small set of chairs and table that had been for her use while in Keronian form had been brought to the center of the room, and a few porcelain dolls placed in the extra seats. The girl had gone as far as to dress some of these dolls in some of the outfits Chunini wore while in her natural Keronian form.

And the little girl and Chunini's eyes met, the child's eyes still glassy with now-forming tears.

"…That one's no good for it, anyway…." Chunini brushed back some of her hair, and wandered over to the back of the room, pulling down another teapot while Lee looked onward, quietly. "This one's much better!"

"…That's from the Song dynasty…." Lee muttered to herself in a shaky panic.

The headache hadn't left. Watching this, it was only getting worse.

"But… W-What about your other one? I can get you a new one, I'm sorry! It just looked so pretty!" Jin-ae asked.

Chunini shrugged this off, concentrating on setting up and rearranging the table. It was apparent this girl had never been to a true tea ceremony, she thought to herself. "…I had a little sister who used to accidentally break things of mine…. I remember being so mad, some times…. But she never meant any harm; she was just curious, and wanted to be more like me."

"Miss Chu?" Lee only said this quietly beneath her breath.

Her employer, mentioning her sister?

"…You have a sister?" Jin-ae sniffed. "It doesn't say that in the magazines…"

"Well, it was a long time ago…." Chunini answered, kneeling beside the table. "…You remind me a little of her… You know, her birthday's coming up soon!"

"Are you going to visit her?"

"…No. Probably not. I'd like to, but she has a family of her own, now. I'd just be a bother to her…" Chunini answered, her voice dropping. It immediately perked back up with her finishing setting up the table. "Now! This is the proper set up for this tea set!"

It clicked with Lee. So this is what it was about, her sister. The bodyguard turned around and gave a nod, only to be called back when Chunini noticed her departure.

"It's rude to leave in the middle, you know, Lee," Chunini winked, and Lee cleared her throat, and knelt down across from Chunini. "Well, this is nice. I don't think I've used most of these before…. Have I, Lee?"

"You haven't used any of these, Miss Chu," Lee replied in her usual deadpan tone.

Chunini paused, and a look came over her face. It was difficult to gauge what it meant, but it was soon gone, replaced by the usual cheery expression as she continued to show Jin-ae how to set up the table. But this wasn't lost on Lee, who continued to go along with the playing while occasionally looking up to Chunini. Something was wrong with her employer.

"That was good fake tea, but I'd rather have something real to eat… Where would be some place nice in the world to eat, Jin-ae? Anywhere in the world!" Chunini clasped her hands together anxiously and smiled, awaiting an answer from the little girl.

"…Pak Burger is a good place…" she answered idly, and Chunini frowned, clearing lost, and looked silently to Lee for a translation.

"A fast food eatery about three blocks from here, Miss Chu."

"That dump that's always getting shut down?!" Chunini balked, and changed her tone as she caught Jin-ae's embarrassed look. "I-I mean, s-sounds great! Let's go!"

"…Where do I start with this….?" Chunini poked at the large burger, and looked around the small restaurant for clues. They…. Weren't using silverware?... Even old Keron hadn't been this backwards… Chunini glanced back to the burger, her mouth twitching. "…I… I think I'm a little more spoiled on Lee's cooking than I've allowed myself to believe…"

Jin-ae couldn't help but laugh as Chunini took an awkward bite from the burger, and even Lee choked on her meal a bit.

"…It's like it's a different world for you, almost!" Jin-ae giggled, and Chunini joined in as well, although her laugh was a nervous one. If only the girl truly knew…

"So are you two best friends?" Jin-ae continued, looking to Lee. "You're always in the photos together…"

"I'm Miss Chu's bodyguard and protector. We're very close, yes," Lee replied.

"Lee's like my husband, she takes care of me and keeps me from doing all the stupid things I'd want to do otherwise!" Lee went bright red at this, while Jin-ae only seemed confused by this odd analogy. "What would you like to do after this, Jin-ae? A toy store, maybe? Ohhh, we could go to a park, there's time for that, right, Lee? You could close that one near here for us!"

"There's an award ceremony tonight, Miss Chu. You've promised to make an appearance."

"Oh. Well, Lee can reschedule it. She's good like that," Chunini answered, literally waving it off and turning back to the daunting burger.

"Re-Reschedule the ceremony?" Lee stuttered. "…Miss Chu, you give me too much credit… I… I'll see what's possible, I suppose. It's unlike you to miss something like this, however."

"Well, I don't always have guests to entertain! Nothing seems to impress Kuru-chan, and Koda-chan's always so busy with school, I don't want to be a bother… I guess you could say I'm having fun!"

Jin-ae piped up, now, after another bite of her meal, "You could show me where you write your songs, maybe?"

"Ah, even better!" Chunini clapped her hands together, "We'll leave a tip for this establishment!"

At this, Lee whipped out a pad of paper and a pencil from her black jacket's breast pocket, "What would you like for me to write down for them, Miss Chu?"

"Make smaller burgers. That's a good tip. Oh, and do something about the stickiness of these tables!" Chunini nodded.

"…Very well…" Lee finished writing this on the slip of paper, ripped this off of the pad of paper, and stood. "I'll deliver this to the manager. We'll be off then."  
Lee paid no heed to the manager's shouts on the way out of the restaurant, and they headed out of the burger place, where several photographers had lined up, now, and were taking photos of Chunini. Both Jin-ae and Chunini watched from the safety of the car as Lee stepped out of the restaurant and motioned for one of the photographers to hand over his camera. The glare was enough for the photographer to do just this, and Lee stomped on the paparazzo's camera once, picked up the largest piece, and handed it back to him. And then she returned to the car, as if nothing had happened.

"…You're really cool…" Jin-ae said with a smile. Even Lee couldn't help but break out a proud smile at this, and she watched on the ride back as Chunini fixed the little girl's messy buns into proper ones, much like her own.

And while Chunini led Jin-ae into the recording studio in the back of the condo, Lee quietly excused herself from the two. There was some researching that had to be done, and this was her first opportunity to do it while alone.

"This is the studio… That desk with the tear stains is where I do a majority of my writing! All of these records are to show how much those tears have paid off!" Chunini explained, pointing to each item as she went by. "I also do drawing there!"

"Oh! I heard you enjoy drawing. Can I see some?"

"It… It's sort of an R15… I'll draw you something special before you go, how about that?" Chunini replied quickly with a nervous, wandering chuckle.

"Does your sister help you with anything? I know she's busy, but does she ever help you write your songs?"

"No. Koda-chan's busy with her own life," Chunini answered casually.

"You're not lonely?"

"No. I don't mind it, I have Lee, and I have my fans. What more could a girl want?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Chunini laughed at this, "Well… When you're older, you'll understand, but some people never stop thinking boys are yucky, Jin-ae. That's our secret though, all right?" she bent down and placed a finger over her lips playfully.

"Well… What about your mom and dad?"

"…My dad didn't like me very much," Chunini added, quickly rebounding and bouncing forward, her arms outstretched. "And this is where I actually record the songs, and I'll record your song for you, whenever you want!"

"Why not?"

"Hrm?" Chunini spun around, and allowed her arms to drop to their sides.

"Why didn't he like you?"

"Well… Papa was just… Always angry…" Chunini answered. "He… Had a lot of troubles, and took it out on me, a lot, for some reason. Hopefully you'll never understand that, and you've got a good Papa."

"Miss Chu," Lee stuck her head in the doorway, and Chunini was never more glad to see her manager. "It's of urgency. I need to speak with you. And only you."

"Right. Stay here, please!" she chirped, leaving Jin-ae alone in the recording studio. "Lee? You look more stern than usual! Have you been working on it? It's showing!"

"I received a call from a local orphanage, wanting to know a photograph of you and one of their missing children has appeared online," Lee said evenly, stepping aside to her laptop to allow Chunini to see the photo, as well as the news article.

"One of their… Wait, that quickly?! But…." Chunini trailed off.

"I tried to suppress the photo as much as possible, but it's still managed to leak, and it's already spread over the Internet like a fire. That child's from one of the local orphanages. It's situated in a residence, so that's why no red flags were raised initially during the contest. There's an actual home address attached to it. One of the owners must have offhandedly signed the waiver of permission for her to enter. That, or she forged the signature to enter."

"Oh. Well, that's fine, just call them back, say we'll keep her a little while longer!" Chunini replied with a chuckle. "There's still a few things we can do, and all of her time's not technically up, yet! Maybe we could even keep her, they wouldn't mind it!"

"What?! Are you completely out of your mind?!" Lee barked. This was a tone new to Chunini. Enough that the pop singer stared at Lee in wide-eyed surprise. "Miss Chu, my number one objective, as your manager, is protect you. I understand you've enjoyed bonding with this girl, and that you miss your sister dearly, but this shouldn't go on any further! I've been calm up until this point, but you can't raise this girl's expectations that there will be something more to this when there won't be! At the end of this, you will go back on to your life, and she will go on to hers, and you can't have her thinking anything other than that!"

Chunini was initially stunned into silence. Lee's voice… Had Lee… Actually just yelled at her? And been unrepentant about it? It… Certainly seemed that way… With Lee's expression remaining stern.

Chunini's expression transformed from shock, to a bit of disappointment, and she tilted her head downward. "I just wanted to have a little fun for a bit, I guess…"

"And now it's come to an end, Miss Chu. I'm…. I'm very sorry…."

"…When's the last time you've spoken with your mother, Lee?"

"My mother? What does that…? I… I don't remember."

"You've been so good, being my family for me…" Chunini took hold of one of Lee's hands and sighed. "Other than you, there aren't many people that stand me. Only Kuru-chan and Koda-chan… I know it…. I'm harsh. I like trick, and I say hurtful things. This little girl seems to not mind me, though…"

"Miss Chu… She barely knows you. She doesn't even know about… Well…"

"…I know…" Chunini sighed and turned around. "…I'll let her know, Lee… Thank you. I know you're just doing it because you care about me."

And Chunini walked back into the music studio, her hand on her choker, over her crest. She then shut her eyes tightly, and removed her hand. As much as she wanted to…. She couldn't bring herself to…

"Jin-ae… I think it's time you went home…" Chunini knelt down in front of the little girl.

"But my parents—"

"Lee knows. And I do, too…" Chunini gave a tiny grin. "It was a good trick, too! Usually I'm the one to pull tricks, so I'm impressed."

"Can I stay a little longer with you, first?"

"Lee wants you to go home. They're worried about you, there… But you'll get to tell them about all the fun things you did!"

"Can I stay and be your sister, then? I won't be loud or anything, and I won't break any more tea sets!" she exclaimed. And then she rushed forward, taking Chunini into a tight embrace.

And Chunini's eyes went wide at this, and she brought the little girl close for a hug.


	70. Chunini: Chu's Biggest Fan Pt2

Episode 34:  
Chunini: Chu's Biggest Fan  
Part 2

Seriously, what is it with Chunini-based chapters and them being so difficult to finish up!? The curse continued here, apparently, and you have my apologies there! Anyway, welcome back to school, all of you who are in school, now. I hope it's a great year for you! And thank you for taking the busy time out of your schedules to read this—It really means an awful lot to me!

"Please eat, Miss Chu…" Lee pushed the meal towards Chunini. "I made all of your favorites for you."

"I said I'm not hungry, Lee. I told you this, already."

"It's been days since you've eaten properly. And you've yet to answer Kururu-san's weekly e-mail correspondence."

Chunini said nothing to this, but stared down at the table, and at the plate of ever-cooling food. A homemade wheel cheesecake, topped with fresh, hand-cut fruit, sat in the middle of the table, untouched.

Lee gave a sigh and pushed up her glasses. "…Miss Chu, it was for the best that this happened this way."

"…How was your mother?"

"…She's urging me to come and visit…. And wondering why I'm not married yet," Lee answered with a heavy, bothered grunt.

"…You should do that, then," Chunini stood and walked out of the dining room, switching into her Keronian form and leaving Lee alone in the room. There was a grim look on Chunini's face, and as she slunk out of the room, Lee only looked down at the plate of fresh-prepared food and moved it around anxiously on her plate.

Chunini closed the door to her bedroom and looked out at the large window, down at the city below. "…It's everything we always wanted, Eriri-san… Fame. Money. Recognition for my true talents. I… I'll be happy again. I know it. Who in my position wouldn't be happy? I… I just got too wrapped up with the Pekoponians. How very unlike me…"

She crawled onto her bed, and looked at the ceiling, and the small crystal chandelier hanging over her. And she thought.

And thought.

"So what do you see yourself doing in ten years, Nee-chan?" Chunini looked up from her notes to Kodada, and the earnest and curious gold-colored eyes of her sister. The two sat on a hill the one, orange-tinted evening, out of the house and away from the stress and tension that the house brought. Dinner was going to be late, due to their father working, not that either of the sisters minded, much. Neither would say this out loud, though, how much they actually appreciated the time outside and away from their father.

"Watching after Koda-chan and Romama-chan's babies, of course," Chunini answered off-handedly, going back to her notes. This notation was impossible… And Eriri-san's hurried handwriting was nothing short of impossible to work through.

"Well, you'll have some kids too, by then!" Kodada reminded her, excitement clear in her voice, "They can look after them, and we could all get together! Me and you, and Romama-kun and your husband!"

The word "husband" and "children" sent shivers down Chunini's spine. These words brought up in Chunini's mind an image of her own mother…. A foolish woman content to stay with their father, that lowly excuse of a man. She suddenly had lost all interest in the hand-written sheet music.

"You have more options than that, Kodada-chan!" Chunini blurted out, and although she didn't realize it at the time, the voice she spoke with was a panicked one. Kodada gave her a strange look at this, and Chunini flushed and returned to her work.

Kodada took in a small breath, thinking for a moment as to how to approach Chunini, "…Nee-chan…."

"I. Sorry. I got water in my ears in the shower this morning, I didn't know how loud I was being," Chunini muttered, doing her best to look busy, shuffling through the papers with out much regard as to what was on them, much less if they were facing the proper direction.

"…I'll be okay, Nee-chan," Kodada reached out and placed a hand over her sister's. "Romama-kun's really nice, he'll be really good to me! And we're in no hurry. I want to do other things, too! Just like I'm sure Nee-chan wants to before she gets married!"

"…Koda-chan… What if I told you I didn't want to get married or have children?" Chunini asked quietly, and waited for it. She waited for the response so many of the other girls in school had given her—That she wasn't serious. That she was just being stupid. That she'd change her mind when she was older and wiser…

Kodada, instead, lit up at this, "Well, that's okay! I hope Nee-chan does meet someone, though! And even if you don't, you'll always have me and Romama-kun! And if Nee-chan doesn't want to be a mom, she can be a great aunt, instead!"

Chunini was stunned by this reaction, and only a small mumble of confusion crept out through her lips, "…R-Really, you think so?"

"I know it!" Kodada giggled. "Nee-chan will be terrific at it!"

"….I'm glad you think so, Koda-chan…." Chunini muttered, and returned to her music, now, a small smile replacing the formerly worried look. Her, an aunt. Now… That wasn't so bad an image, in her mind. Kodada-chan would be able to balance being a mother with whatever else she wanted—She wouldn't give up herself for it.

"Would you mind explaining to me what that is?" Kodada inched closer to her sister, and Chunini glanced up, and nodded.

"It's… Like its own language… But it shows you what pitches to have…" Chunini began, pointing to the different notes in order to explain it better. "It also tells you how long to keep a note, and what key to have it in…"

"Kukuku! This is all over some child?" Kururu laughed. "….How very unlike you… You've gone soft in your old age? And at the same time, I'm not shocked that this had to do with a woman, kukuku!"

Chunini's head snapped in the direction of her fellow, yellow friend, and she gave a giggle, changing from the serious expression she'd worn but moments before. "Ah, so you were listening after all, Kuru-chan!"

"Kukuku! I said I could drown out most. I didn't actually think you'd go on for that long… I thought you would've given up long ago."

"… I suppose I just felt like I had Koda-chan back for a little bit… And I'm not the only one who's gone soft! You've got that one little brat of a kid, too, you know! Don't tell me she's not a handful for you."

"That's not a matter of going soft. Believe me…." Kururu replied. And from behind them was the sound of a small explosion, and Kirere stepped out of her small repair shop, covered in black soot. She lifted up a yellow visor that she'd been wearing for protection, and this was the only part of her not covered in black.

"…I blew something up again, Papa…." she coughed, a puff of soot coming out as she did.

"…And you want this, kukuku…." Kururu laughed, rotating his chair around to face them both.

"….Mine never blew up anything…" Chunini replied, looking over the soot-covered Kirere in disbelief, still.

"…Yours? Interesting…." Kururu gave a laugh, and turned around once more, his back to them both again. "Give it time, kuku!"

"I'll be ready in time for dinner! I think I'm going to try to put out that fire, now…"

"This is why the fire extinguisher was such a good idea… Remember not to use it all, you won't get another one until your next birthday, kukuku…"

"Right!" Kirere replied cheerfully, rushing back to her workshop, leaving a cloud of soot behind her.

"Kukuku!…I suppose this is where I offer some friendly advice…."

"Children are a pain in the ass and I should get another, less-destructive hobby, right?" Chunini concluded.

"Kuku! That's about right…. But then again, when do either of us listen to anyone else's advice?"

"We always just do what we want, don't we, Kuru-kun? I wish I could marry you, some times!" she giggled.

"It'd be too cruel for me to take myself off the market, we both know that."

"Oh, I don't know, I say that one girl's got pretty good control of you."

"And you're saying you've never been under a girl's control."

"Of course I have!" she sat up and winked. "That's what's caused my troubles most of my life!... I think I know what to do, now…"

"Kukuku! Do the opposite while you still can. Run."

"Well, that just wouldn't be my style!" she hopped off the couch and triumphantly bounded out of the lab, and moments after she'd vanished, another explosion came from Kirere's workshop.

"I'M OKAY!" she reassured Kururu in a faraway shout moments later.

"…Kukuku!"

"A-Adopted?!" Chunini yelped. She looked out of place amongst the plainly-dressed orphanage employees and curious children, in a frilled orange dress and white boots. She looked out of place, and she looked distraught.

"This morning…" the flustered employee replied, looking back over her shoulder to her superiors for support. She found none, only the others attempting to make themselves look busy. Anything to not get in the way of a celebrity attempting to adopt. They'd heard the stories about these sorts of things.

"You can't do a refund on that sort of thing!?" Chunini asked frantically, eying the other frightened employees either scurrying or cowering behind the woman.

The shaken employee gaped in horror, "R-Refund!? I…. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't work like that here!"

Chunini gave a growl, spun away and stomped out of the building, her rage having given way to another emotion. Alone on the sidewalk, in front of her limo, she pulled out her cell phone. And she dialed.

"Hello?" the groggy voice of Kodada. That's right. It was still early in Germany. "Hello? Sis? Is that you? Is everything okay over there? What's wrong?"

Chunini hung up before she could summon the courage to answer, and sighed, cell phone still in hand, "…Happy birthday, Koda-chan…."

She rushed over to her parked car, demanded the driver take off as she threw herself into the back seat of her limo.

Chunini was ready to begin her sulk as she slunk into the condo. She felt tired, she felt worn, and most of all, she felt defeated. Even the normally lightweight Pekoponian body felt heavy. She leaned against the wall of the condo, happy for all of the turned-off lights, right then. It all fit her mood so very perfectly at this moment.

She needed her more familiar skin, now. Realizing this, she pressed the crest on her choker, and she returned to her Keronian form. She caught sight of herself in a mirror, as she passed by, and nodded. This was who she was. She didn't get involved with the Pekoponians. That was what her sister did, and that was fine… But she didn't. That just wasn't her. They were too much trouble for her to deal with.

Chunini became aware now that she'd been mistaken that about all of the lights being out in the condo… There was one on, still… In one of the back rooms? Her recording studio? Who could have been there, at this time of night?

Chunini wandered in, confused… Lee was under strict order to visit her mother and not come home until she had done just this…. And yet Lee was there, her jacket at a side, and leaned against Chunini's desk. Lee wasn't alone, Chunini noticed with a panic. There was a small Pekoponian at the desk chair, her back turned to Chunini. Lee nodded to the little girl, and she spun around, her eyes going wide at the sight of Chunini, but otherwise, her saying nothing, only remaining silent, taking in the sight of the small yellow alien.

"Oh, dear. Your secret's been found out, Miss Chu…." Lee said with a deadpan, her expression the same and her arms folded, not even looking over towards her boss, and instead focusing on a faraway wall in order to avoid eye contact.

"Lee, I'm absolutely livid," Chunini said, a smile growing across her lips.

"I realized you would be, Miss Chu," Lee nodded. "So what are we to do here in this situation?"

"Well… That'd be up to Jin-Ae, now, wouldn't it?" Chunini answered. The little girl said nothing as she wandered over to Chunini, knelt down in front of her, and poked at star on her stomach gently.

"…You're squishy…" she said with a quiet giggle. "…So… this is really you?"

"Right," Chunini nodded. "I hope you're not too disappointed. I know it's not exactly as flashy as my other look, but this is what I usually look like on my off time."

"It's…. Sort of neat, actually. You're so small, I can carry you around," she mumbled. "…So what do I call you?"

"Chu, if you want… Chu-chan, Chunini…. Wonderful, beautiful, I accept all these things… Mama might be appropriate some day, but when you're ready… Oh! Lee could be Papa!"

"I-It doesn't work like that, Miss Chu!" Lee stuttered, and Chunini smirked.

"Are you sure, Lee?" she chuckled, which immediately stopped as Jin-Ae embraced her, scooping her up into an embrace. Both their smiles left as Lee cleared her throat and reached for her jacket, then headed towards the condo's door.

"Lee? Where are you off to? I didn't think we were done with the touching moments quite yet!"

"I have my family to attend to, Miss Chu… At your request, I'm having dinner with them this evening," Lee replied, looking back to her employer and Jin-Ae. "…I'll need most of my strength in order to deal with that."

"Are we going? Can we?" Jin-Ae looked down to Chunini, and up again to Lee, hopeful for the answer she wanted.

A smile came across Chunini's face, and Lee felt a small sense of dread.

"That sounds like a great idea, Jin-Ae! You can meet the rest of your family, and I finally get to see where Lee started from!"

"That…. That's an awful idea…." Lee muttered underneath her breath, all the while cursing her fate.

"Your Mama looks so happy here, Lee!" Chunini giggled, continuing to flip through the photographs on her phone. Lee glanced up from her paperwork and pushed up her glasses, briefly looking over Chunini's shoulder at the photos. Three other siblings, then Lee's mother, then Lee. With them at the table, Chunini and Jin-Ae.

Lee's sister-in-law had been the photographer for the awkward event, and Lee's mother's feelings toward the entire meal shown in the puzzled expression, turned a bit dark, as Chunini attempted to get a photograph with the woman, clinging on to her and flashing a large peace sign, all the while grinning widely. Lee's mother let out nary a smile, and, in fact, her frown seemed deepest in this photo.

"I think she likes me!" Chunini said cheerfully, holding the camera against the chest of her Pekoponian form and smiling. "Getting the parents to like you is always a good sign!"

"M-Miss Chu…." Lee's head drooped a little bit, and Chunini hummed and continued to flip through the photos, a pleased smile on her face.

"All of you and your siblings have the same smile, did you know that, Lee?" Lee could see no sigh of smile in the photograph with her other siblings. They all had the same, stern frown. Also, similar glasses. In fact, they all bore a very similar resemblance to each other. "What do they do again?"

"My oldest brother is a doctor. My sister is a lawyer, and my other brother's a nuclear physicist," Lee replied, pained in doing so.

"They must be so jealous of you!" Chunini gasped. Only now she raised her head and looked about. "Jin-Ae must have really gone on to bed! I should wake her up and tell her a bedtime story! That's how that works, right? Since it's the first night, maybe I should tell her a couple!"

As she bolted to the floor, however, Lee instinctively took hold of her wrist, flushing as she noticed the surprised look Chunini gave this action.

"T-That's not how you do that, Miss Chu…."

"O-Oh! I'll have to remember that!" she plopped back down at her seat, her puffy orange skirt spreading out underneath her. "I'm glad you're with me for this, Lee. You know so much about these things."

"I'm not that good, Miss Chu. You give me too much credit."

"Haha, I think the opposite, a lot of times, deep down, actually!" Chunini answered. "...Hey, Lee?"

"Hrm?" the manager had attempted to go back to her paperwork, but it was clear Chunini was going to have none of this.

"You'll be here with me for this, right?" Chunini's eyes were pleading, almost, as she scanned Lee over, waiting for a response. "…You're not going to leave us, right, Lee? You'll stay and be in the family, too?"

"…Yes, Miss Chu. I will," Lee nodded after being taken aback by this question.

"I'm glad," Chunini grinned, and realized now that Lee's hand was still around her wrist. "…Lee…"

"So—Sorry…" Lee broke her hold and turned away, and Chunini giggled a bit.  
"I'm thinking we're going to have to come to terms with one another yet, you know, Lee! Or maybe I should get more used to calling you Min Jee?"

"I can't say I'm fond of that named, Miss Chu…" Lee answered.

Chunini's eyes fell at being referred to as this, "You know, I think I'm going to really miss when you stop calling me that, one of these days. I think that's the only thing I'd miss out of everything. Lee…. What do you see us as? And be honest? Am I just your boss to you, still, after all of this time?"

Lee gauged Chunini's worried expression… She looked like a small child when she got like this, lost, insecure, and needing to know that there would be someone there to pick her up whenever she fell.

Lee gave a small, relaxed smile, "Miss Chu… You're spiteful, selfish, quick to through a tantrum, vain, petty, and you never let go of a single grudge that comes your way. But I also know that you'll be the first one there for me when I need someone. You're my family to me. I would do anything to preserve that. You have never been simply my boss to me, not even from the beginning."

"…I'll agree with everything except for the part about never letting go of a grudge. I forgave Sumomo-chan a long time ago for knocking me off of the charts, after all!"

"This was only after to much harassment the authorities threatened to get involved, Miss Chu."

Chunini giggled at this, "So many phone calls… It was worth buying out the phone bank for the week, you know."

"You still occasionally spread untrue rumors about her, as well, Miss Chu."

"Well, no one knows for certain if she kicked that space husky puppy or not, Lee. She very well could have!... All right, all right. Maybe you're on to something about the grudge thing, are you happy I can't at least admit it?"

Lee allowed herself the rare laugh, "Miss Chu, I—"

"Oh? Jin-Ae? What's the matter, I thought you were in bed!" Chunini exclaimed, surprised to see the young child.

The little girl stood in the doorway of the room, looking quietly down at the ground, "…I couldn't sleep…." she mumbled with embarrassment. They couldn't blame her…. It was different when it was just a nap, but knowing that this was her new home made it a bit intimidating for the child.

Chunini laughed and took as step forward, pulling Lee along with her. "We'll make a pillow fort, then, until you're tired! Right, Lee?"

"Miss Chu, my paperwork, I…. I'll look around for more sheets…" Lee saw no winning in this as she gauged both Chunini and Jin-Ae's excited expressions.

"And then they all lived happily ever after…." Lee finished blandly, shutting the book and looking to her left and then right. Chunini passed out asleep to the right of her, and Jin-Ae in a similar state to her left. All three were beneath the fortress made from all of the luxury-grade sheets, pillows, and blankets in the condo, and Lee laid there, looking incredibly out of place in the scene. But looking down at the other two, she noted that they didn't particularly seem like two who would work together, either. But they did.

Lee gave a yawn and stretched—It was so late at night… Or early in the morning. Whichever it was, the day had taken it out of her.

She went to move away from her spot in-between the two, but was quickly stopped as Chunini, even in her sleep, placed a protective arm around Lee. Knowing what her boss was like when woken up, especially when she didn't want to be, Lee decided it best to stay put. She didn't want another outburst, the last time had been rough enough.

She laid down in-between the two and sighed. She briefly raised her head, and began to reach for the knife concealed beneath her skirt, strapped to her thigh, as she heard what sounded like someone's careful footsteps.

"…Go to sleep, Lee…" Chunini mumbled with annoyance, not bothering to open her eyes and look at her friend.

Lee gave one more scan of the room, then shut her eyes. With all of the stresses of the days before, it wouldn't be any surprise to her if she indeed was hallucinating. Without much more thought to this, she quickly fell asleep.

Jin-Ae's eyes opened now as she heard the soft steps again, and the little girl looked up and whispered, "…Go away, not now…."

And the footsteps stopped, leaving the rest of the night silent to the small, new family.


	71. Tamama: Tamama's Big Battle! Pt1

Episode 35  
Tamama: Tamama's Big Battle  
Woo! Next part, yay. :3 As always, please enjoy?

Part 1

"And we can go to a diner to get real American food, and we can go to a mall—And then we can go to that theme park in California whose name we can't say because we can't secure the rights!" Kirere chirped happily, naming off the different activities with her fingers. She was about up to twenty, now.

"Porara-san has offered to show us all around while we're here on Ojiisama's mission. Could you say business and pleasure?" Mois added with a wide grin.  
Tamama only sunk lower in his seat and grumbled; there was no pleasure to be found here. He'd offered to go on the errand with Gunso, thinking that it would be him and Gunso, not….

This duo.

Anything but this duo.

Anything but that Woman and Kiichii.

Death in the arid desert just outside of the train would've been better.

Porara greeted them, not in his heavy coat but in a black suit, complete with matching hat and bolo tie, and with his badge on his jacket. His smile fell as he watched the two Keronians on the alien train hop off behind Mois, and the flowers in his hand fell at his side.

"I-I…. I didn't think she'd bring those annoying things with her!" Porara whispered in a curse to himself, gripping onto the bouquet tightly to the point it shook.

"Porara-san! We made it!" Mois chimed in happily, rushing to him.

"…Let's just get this over with quick…." Tamama sighed, adjusting his backpack over his shoulders while Kirere took a swig from her water bottle. Already the oppressive heat of the Nevada desert was getting to the two Keronians.

"What do we have to get from here, anyway?" Kirere asked as she followed back beside Tamama, allowing Mois and Porara to walk ahead of them in the crowded and dusty train station; it was so unlike the one they'd left behind. It was fashioned with iron and copper, with yellowed thick windows. Many of the aliens walking about them were either tourists, or dressed like Porara.

Both of the platoon members did noticed several strong-looking aliens as they passed however, and this caused Kirere to step closer to Tamama; pain that he was, he was still stronger than her, and a good friend to have.

"Kururu-san said he needed some special sort of metal for a plan of Gunso-san's," Tamama explained, looking around and noting the bulky aliens. He, himself, even with all of his strength, couldn't help but be a bit intimidated by them.

"I wonder if it's just a rough neighborhood!" Kirere wondered in a whisper.

"Tama?" Tamama stopped at a poster plastered to a metal pillar, and Porara huffed at the sight of this, not hiding his obvious contempt.

"Things have been rough here, moreso than usual, with keeping order," he explained. "Some sort of martial arts competition, it's tradition here…. I hate these sorts of things, personally…."

"Is it because people like that used to beat you up in school?" Porara jumped at Kirere's accusation, while Tamama gave a sly smile. Porara's face was enough to answer this question.

The sheriff of the Roswell alien encampment tore down this poster, and crumbled it up along the way as he led them through the town.

Even the city, that was located underneath the town of Roswell, was full of sand. It lined the streets instead of the concrete Kirere, Tamama, and Mois were used to. And it was warm, that was for certain. The lack of the bright, natural sun kept Kriere and Tamama safe, but the heat and the dryness of the weather still got to them, and by the time they reached Porara's home, both were a bit weak from the walk.

"I…. I think I need to rest for an hour or five…." Kirere groaned, spreading out on the wooden porch.

"I heard the weather was bad for Keronians—Why would you come out here, anyway?"

"A favor for Ojiisama," Mois explained. Porara's eyes began to roll to the back of his head when she continued with. "It means a lot to him, so it means a lot to me! Thank you again, Porara-san!"

In Porara's mind, "Porara-san" repeated itself over and over, sweetly, and in Mois's voice. He blushed a bit and then opened the door for them to enter. Tamama looked down at Kirere a moment, and then decided it was best to drag her in by the tail.

Immediately as they entered, Kirere and Tamama noticed it. The pictures of Porara and his mother. The many, many pictures.

"…I think his problems go deeper than being bullied in school," Tamama mumbled blandly.

"Mother had wanted to join us, but her space bingo conflicted," Porara removed his hat and immediately set himself into host mode, offering a few wingback chairs to the travelers. "Mois-chan, the metal you're looking for is above ground, so I can go with you, but I don't think it would be safe for your friends to go. The desert can still get really hot, this time of the year, and the nights would be too cold for them."

"Well, I…." Mois looked sideways to Tamama and Kirere. "I wouldn't want to leave them both here without anything to do! Could you say a total guilt trip?"

"We'll have plenty to do with the fights!" Kirere giggled. "We can watch it for fun, maybe!"

"That does seem appropriately barbaric for Keronians…." Porara muttered, "All right, we can leave this evening! I-If that's all right with you, Mois-chan."

"Mm," she nodded, and looked to Kirere and Tamama. "Are you sure you'll both be all right with that?"

"Haha, yeah, we won't miss you at all!" Tamama replied in his cheery and most adorable voice.

And so Mois and Porara packed up that evening, Porara packing accurately and down to the last detail, just as if his mother still packed his things, and dressed in his brown overcoat. Mois, too, had transformed into Western gear, although this was more to blend into the surroundings, or perhaps even for fun, than for necessity. Kirere and Tamama were left in the wooden home by themselves. Kirere busied herself in the living room disassembling a weapon she'd taken with her, to repair for fun in case of any downtime.

Tamama, meanwhile, busied himself with a bag of chips and the upstairs of Porara's home. There were three bedrooms, a bathroom, and not much else. More pictures of him and his mother. Many more.

"They have names for people like you, Porara-san," Tamama mumbled flatly, and walked one of the bedrooms to explore. This was Porara's room, Tamama realized by the black hat hung up on a peg.

"Journal?" Tamama hopped up on the desk chair, and looked to his left, and then right. "Oh no, a strong breeze has blown Porara-san's journal open!" he called out, tossing open the page himself.

It was about a minute's worth of reading about the nice things he was saying about that woman before Tamama started to feel ill; after two minutes, nausea had onset. After three, he knew it was either quit reading or lose his appetite forever.

"Porara-san… You have terrible taste in women…" Tamama muttered, shutting the book again and now wandering over to the thick glass window. He'd heard some sort of fighting, and it was becoming louder, now.

Outside in the center of town there was a ring of people. And in the middle of this ring, two aliens going at it. Well, more appropriately, one very large alien going at it, and another, small one, attempting to skitter away from him and the crowd. The tightly packed crowd was having none of this, however.  
A little bit of squinting, Tamama could see exactly what the aliens were. While the large one was… Almost minotaur-like (where did they come from, again?), the smaller one was much more familiar to Tamama. This was a fellow Keronian.

Kirere jerked her head up as she heard footsteps rushing down the creaking stairs, and frowned with confusion as Tamama rushed past her and out the front door.

"Tamam-nii-chan?" Kirere stood up and cautiously began to follow him, out to the circle of people.

"J-Just let me go, all right?! I told you I didn't mean it!" the Keronian yelped. Tamama could get a good look at him, now. White hat, black skin, and blue, worried eyes.

"No apologies, now fight!" the minotaur-alien growled, glaring down at the shaking Keronian.

"HEY!" Tamama took a step forward in the crowd, his fists balled. "Lay off of him, damn it!"

The minotaur looked up and smiled, busting out into laughter, "What is THAT?! Your kid… or your sister!?"

"O-Oh, no…." Kirere had worked her way through the crowd, just in time to see Tamama's reaction. She quickly turned her head away, knowing what was to come, next. A yell from Tamama, a bright explosion, and a singed minotaur alien, not to mention a stunned and silent crowd.

"Now if anyone else is looking for a fight, I'm still ready! Who else wants to call me a girl!?" Tamama demanded. The crowd was still for a moment, and then broke off in all directions quickly.

"That's what I thought," Tamama smiled and laughed, his arms folded.

"T-That was amazing!" the Keronian stuttered, still on the ground and stunned.

"And you! You should know how to stick up for yourself better!" Tamama barked, now looking to the strange Keronian. Kirere concealed a laugh at this; Tamama really did look matronly, admonishing the dumbfounded Keronian with a long lecture.

"I-I know," the strange Keronian stuttered, flushing a bit. "I-I should be stronger… I…I should be going, really."

"But you're hurt!" Kirere yelped.

"I-It's okay, I'm a doctor, I can treat myself," he answered, standing and then immediately falling back down again. "….But if I could get some help standing, I wouldn't mind it, right now."

"This is great!" he took another long drink of the soup and sat back on the couch, contented.

"I can't find many other people who like curry soup!" Kirere giggled cheerfully, and headed back into the kitchen.

"Anything's better than what I've been eating," he answered, and set the mug down on the coffee table. Tamama sat next to him, quiet for the most part, trying to figure out exactly who this was. He couldn't put his finger on it, except that he had a very punchable face. He could have, at any moment, punched this Keronian in the face and not felt bad about it.

"So what's your name?!" Kirere asked from the kitchen, and he jerked his head up, and thought for a moment.

"I-It's Hachichi," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "And I'm sorry again. I was just trying to get something done, I didn't mean to make that guy angry at me! I just sort of…. Tripped into him. And I guess his kind don't take well to getting their hooves stepped on."

"Don't apologize for him, he's a jerk, anyway," Tamama snorted.

"I can't believe you actually did that to him, and I got to see one of those!" Hachichi laughed, and sat back against the couch. "What is that, the Tamama impact, right!?"

There was a heavy knock on the door, then, that made all in the house jump.  
Kirere stuck her head out of the kitchen, and then cautiously wandered over to the window nearest to the door.

"…It's that guy from before!" Kirere whispered in a panic to Tamama.

"M-Maybe if we stay quiet, he'll go away?" Hachichi whispered hopefully.

The alien answered by throwing a barrel through the same window Kirere had been looking out of moments ago. Wood and water splashed and smashed everywhere in the living room.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the fight!" it growled, and then clopping noises could be heard as it stormed off of the porch and away from the house. "If you don't come, you're dead! All of you!"

"I-I don't think he's gonna go away…" Kirere said nervously.

"What's he doing?" early the following morning, Hachichi sat out on the steps of the house, still shaken, as he and Kirere watched Tamama, who now donned a white gi and moved about the sandy ground gracefully, occasionally giving a yell as he threw a punch or kick to the air.

"Practicing… It's a little weird, if you ask me," Kirere sighed. "Hey, are you feeling all better, yet?"

"Y-Yes, thanks…. It's just…. Weird, finally seeing him do that, after hearing about it…"

"Huh? You know about us?"

"W-Well, yeah! You guys are famous!" he stuttered, embarrassed at having been caught.

Kirere's smile fell, "You're not one of those crazy fans, are you?"

"N-No, not at all! I promise!" he laughed, holding up his hands.

She only sighed and went to work, continuing to repair the smashed-out window. She had almost finished setting in the glass when Tamama let out another signature Tamama impact. The noise from this surprised her, and the glass went slipping out of her hands and smashing onto the ground. She gave a grunt, and stomped down, pointing to the broken glass. This led to a fight between the two; the bickering increased until they became aware of laughing; Hachichi, bowled over with laughter upon watching them.

"I… I'm sorry! I just always heard how funny it was, is all!" he chuckled, wiping his eyes.

"…For a guy who had his ass handed to him, he doesn't mind laughing at people who are stronger than him…" Tamama grumbled, feeling more silly than anything. He and Kirere shot one another glares once more before returning to their respective work.

"S-Sorry…." Hachichi said, allowing his laughing to trail off and looking to Kirere.

"Get me a mallet!" she only barked back, and he rushed to his feet.

"Y-You got it!"

Giroro stared down at the communicator, as though it were some sort of poisonous snake.

"I should call it…. But…." he held out his hand to reach for it, and stopped. "I promised I'd show her I trusted her…. But part of being a good parent isn't trusting. Or is it? Damn it…."

"Kukuku!" Giroro nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard the familiar noise of the scientist and co-parent come from outside. He unzipped his tent and gave his customary hello scowl to Kururu.

"Yes? What do you need?"

"You're having a hard time letting her do this yourself, aren't you? I can sense when Senpai's having a crisis."

"I…."

"Kuku! Call it a talent of mine…. So are you going to call?"

"N-No. I promised I wouldn't! I promised to be less overbearing!"

"Good man…. Although I do hear it's sand-worm mating season, right now. They are especially aggressive, this time of the year…"

It didn't take long for Giroro to pick up the communicator and start dialing frantically, after this.

"…There's so many people here…." Kirere muttered, looking about the bustling crowds of fighters. And amidst them all, one Deputy Panyo guiding them all. In spite of this all, she seemed to be doing a good job, motioning for the crowds to come and go, and only occasionally giving a blow of her whistle. She noticed Kirere out of the corner of her eye, and popped the whistle out of her mouth, and smiled at the young girl.

"Aw, are you lost, panyo?"

"N-No, I'm fine, really!" Kirere answered, being taken aback at being talked to in such a manner. It wasn't long after her communicator rang, and she sighed, seeing as it was her father.

Well, one of them.

"Hello?" she had to hold the free ear closed, pressing her headphone against it in order to drown out the crowd. "Dad?"

"K-Kirere? I… I couldn't find… The chopsticks."

"Chopsticks?"

"O-O, there they are! How foolish of me. How… How are you doing, by the way?"

This was asked just as a fight erupted in the heavy crowds. Kirere ducked away while Panyo went to break up the crowd. No matter how quickly she rushed away from this, an alarmed Giroro still heard, and grew increasingly frantic.

"K-Kirere?! What was that?!" Giroro demanded.

"Nothing! I've gotta go, you're breaking up! Say hi to Papa!" and she clicked the communicator off. She was quick to put it on silent and hurry to the wooden arena the competition was being held in.

She wondered what had happened to Haichichi. Just as quickly as he'd entered, he'd vanished, sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night. Nothing seemed to be missing, however…. There was nary a sign of him ever having been there. It was bizarre, the silent way he'd exited. She wondered if perhaps, somewhere in the crowds, he was there.

Tamama wasn't in the first few rounds, and the rounds bored Kirere a bit. The fighting was no worse than anything Dad ever did to Papa when Papa turned him into a dog, or woman, or altered all of reality.

By the fourth battle, Tamama showed. At first, he garnered laughs, going up against the Viper alien. These soon ended as he blasted the competitor to oblivion. And it laid there, charred, but still living, all before Kirere could get her first cheer in. There was dead silence for a moment, before the audience erupted in cheers.

One round after another, Tamama progressed onward. And Kirere went through one tray of chips and salsa after another. She finished this off with hot peppers, eating these like they were candy. This didn't fail to get the attention of the audience members around her, who watched the bizarre girl and the pile of spicy snack wrappers around her, without a drink in sight.

"L-Little girl, are you sure you don't want something to drink?" a concerned vendor asked as he handed her another salsa and chip tray.  
Kirere's eyes lit up at the offer, "Black coffee, please!"

This dumbfounded the vendor, who had few words to return to this.

It was halftime, and Tamama was relaxing in the locker room, taking up this section by himself. He'd either beaten or scared away most of the other competitors.

"Not bad at all—Good practice that I can't get at Momochi's!" he giggled, flexing his arm and then laying back on the bench. "All easy-sailing from here on…. I don't even know what the prize is, now that I think about it. Hrm, I hope it's something good… Sweets are always nice, but maybe a tropical vacation somewhere nice…. I could take Gunso and we could both have some time away from that woman!"

"Can I get your autograph?" he opened his eyes and sat up. A young alien boy in the corner, holding out a pencil and an autograph pad. He was humanoid, with grayish skin, from what Tamama could see. A majority of his face was covered up, though, in typical Western wear. His yellow eyes looked out though cheerfully, and he held out the pad and pencil closer. "Please?"

"Tama?" Tamama hopped off of his seat and walked over to the young boy, and took the pad and paper. He signed his name, and handed it back. The lighting in the locker room wasn't the best, and he tried to make out more details on the boy, but couldn't.

"Thanks! You're really good out there!" the boy exclaimed, tucking away the pad and paper.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just a lot of practice, is all!" Tamama answered, chuckling.

Why this slight cold feeling, in the desert, of all places?

The boy turned to leave, and looked back once to Tamama, over his shoulder. Tamama had already gone back to his relaxing, although it was difficult. He could just barely make out the other competitor's voices. All he heard was his breathing, his and his fan's.

"You know it's going to fail, right?" the young boy said, equally cheery.

"Huh?"

"The mission of yours. It's going to fail," he answered again. Something about the cheery self assuredness in his tone. "Don't worry. I'm making sure of it. Enjoy your time while you have it with Keroro-san and everyone. There isn't going to be much left of it."

Tamama's smile totally fell, at this point. The little boy broke off into a run, and Tamama bolted up to dash after him.  
But when he turned the corner, there was no little boy there. Only the attendants, telling him to get back to the arena.

And as he walked back, he nearly slid on something slick. He picked it up from the sand, and immediately recognized it as the pad of paper the boy had been carrying.

Only his name was scratched out, now.

Tamama looked about, and didn't see the boy, only the whirling crowd around him.

Something wasn't right, here.


	72. Tamama: Tamama's Big Battle! Pt2

Blame my own poor time management for this wait. T.T Sorry.

Episode 35  
Tamama: Tamama's Big Battle!  
Part 2

"…He looks sort of shaken…." Kirere muttered, squinting to see Tamama in the ring. And indeed he did. He looked as though he was looking around for something… Or someone. This shook him enough that he barely made the last round, instead he remained focused on something that had truly bothered him.

She sipped her third cup of black coffee and gave a small hiccup, and leaned forward as he continued the battle. It was down to four of them, now. Looking up at the leaderboard, she noticed one of the four was the very angry, bull-like alien they'd run into the day before. He would get his rematch, after all.

"Hey, did I miss anything?" Hachichi took a seat next to the little girl, his arms, too, filled with snacks. Kirere, surprised by the sudden appearance of the Keronian again, was about to answer, but this was interrupted by Tamama delivering a strong uppercut to the competitor, a cat-like alien. It flew back and into the front of the audience, and Kirere bolted up and cheered, nearly spilling her coffee. Hachichi quickly reached out to grab this, while a few of his own pile of snacks slipped out from his arms.

"And here I thought you guys didn't get along!" Hachichi chuckled as the young girl seated herself again, took her cup of coffee, and began to nurse the throwaway cup.

"Huh? Well, we don't. But I don't want to see him lose," she answered, as if this made sense to her. But it did. Hachichi nodded, and the two went without another word until they saw who the other competitor was.  
The alien from the day before.

"Ohhh, this is going to be bad…." Kirere muttered, and now dipped into her bag of dried chili peppers. "Hey, did you want—Where did you go now?"  
She huffed a sigh and flipped through the program. She then took a look at the pile of snacks Hachichi had left in his wake, and furrowed her brow. Potato chips, all sorts and varieties.

Tamama gulped a deep breath of air, and continued to pant. He was alone in the locker room, now, his battered hands bandaged. He hoped that the other alien was just as exhausted, but he knew he wasn't. He'd seen the thing walking around proudly, as energetic and full of fight as when they had started.

He moved back on the bench, but this wasn't without a cringe of pain, starting from his shoulders and leading to his tail.

"Maybe I'll luck out and he'll forfeit…." Tamama muttered, and just as quickly delivered a slap to his own face. "N-No! I can't talk like that! I can't quit like that! What would Gunso and everyone think of me!?"

He was startled by a shuffling sound in front of him, behind a row of lockers, and stood unsteadily, prepped to fight. He fell back and gave a dull glare as he saw it was only Hachichi, now in a white coat, with a black suitcase at his side.

"I-I'm working as a medic here!" Hachichi announced cheerfully, holding up the bag and tapping at the red cross in the center. He knelt down next to Tamama, and opened his suitcase, revealing some old-fashioned treatments, as well as several small machines, many Tamama had never seen before.

"Your blood sugar's a little high…" Hachichi muttered while he examined Tamama.

"Nothing new there…." Tamama muttered, flinching now as Hachichi went to change his bandages.

"You… Haven't seen anything weird around here, have you?"

"Tama?"

"Nothing," Hachichi shook his head quickly. "You… You should call it off. The fight, I mean. You should call it off."

"And let him win? Heh," Tamama gave a snort, and flexed his hands after Hachichi had finished re-bandaging them.

Hachichi tilted his head down and sighed, "…You really don't give up on anything, do you…?"

"I don't give up on fights and I don't give up on Gunso," Tamama answered. The way that Tamama finished this made Hachichi give pause, and the fellow black Keronian gave a small choke as he continued to work.

"S-So that's how it is for you two?" Hachichi wondered aloud in a whisper.

"What's that now?"

"I said you should be ready to go," Hachichi cleared his throat and shut his case. He stood, but looked back once before leaving. "….Really. Be careful out there, okay? It's okay to give up, sometimes."

"Sometimes, but not today," Tamama answered with a smile, flexing his hands again and giving a few blows and kicks to the air.

"When are they going to go back onnnnn?" Kirere sprawled out on the bench in boredom, the program covering her face.

"E-Excuse me! Pardon me! H-Hey, watch it! Do you know who you're dealing with?!" Kirere slowly rose from her spot on the bench, recognizing the deep voice, allowing the program to slip off of her face.

"K-Kirere! What are you doing here?!" Giroro immediately rushed to her, stepping over several large aliens in the process to get to her.

"Just… Having a few snacks?" she answered innocently enough, kicking away a few of the wrappers.

"Hey, do you want to sit!?" barked one of the smaller aliens behind them to Giroro. This was quickly met with a gun pointed at his cheek as Giroro continued, not falling out of his protective parent mode in the process.

"O-Or not…" the spectator finished with and uneasy chuckle.

Giroro grunted and took a seat next to his daughter, folding his arms and giving a glare out to the ring, "You didn't come here to watch an event, much less one as dangerous as this! It's a poor allocation of funds and time! Why are you here alone, Kirere? Where are Porara and the Angol?"

"They went out together to get what Ojiisan needed!" she chirped.

"And Tamama?"

"….Well…."

This was answered for Giroro as these was a cheer from the audience. His jaw dropped at the sight of Tamama walking out, and he bolted out of his seat.

"What do you think you're doing?!" he barked, standing atop the bench. Tamama turned his head toward the Corporal, but just as quickly, Giroro felt a shadow over him; Deputy Panyo, looking less than enthused.

And while Giroro was led off for what the Deputy referred to as "inciting violent behavior among the crowd", and Kirere hurried quickly with them, begging the Deputy not to send her father to jail, Tamama took his stance in front of the horned alien, gulping as he looked at the sheer size of it. It had looked so much smaller when it hadn't directly been out for his blood, he couldn't help be notice. But now… Now it looked to do just that, kicking up sand with one of its hooves and snorting.

"There won't even be enough of you left to identify dental records, when I'm done with you!" huffed the opposing alien.

Tamama said nothing; the time for comebacks, now, was over. He waved to the alien, his eyes narrowed. The enemy alien took the first move, charging for straight for him. Tamama's small body allowed him to jump up into the air, avoiding the attack, and land back atop the head of the beast, landing a kick. The audience went into a loud cheer at this, while the bull-like alien only shook it off and turned around, kicking and stomping at the ground more intensely now.

It was at this moment that Tamama caught the look in the eyes of the monster; they were yellow, just like…

A punch to his jaw and Tamama went flying back. The cheering crowd went silent for a moment, only to resume its cheers when Tamama shook this off and shakily rose.

"That's right! Kick his ass!" Kirere shrieked in excitement, much to Giroro's shock. The three had stopped now, including the Deputy, and were watching the fight in awe.

"W-Watch your language!" he barked, exerting his authority even in the handcuffs of the deputy.

"Like I said, I don't give up… Now come on…" Tamama waved him on, and the alien charged again. Tamama waited until he was close enough, and then slid, knocking the creature's large hoofed legs out from under it. Tamama threw up his own arms as the crowd cheered at t his, but this was a short-lived victory as the bull picked up Tamama by the leg and swung him, throwing him into through a set of wooden bleachers.

It was then that the referees decided to step in and warn the bull. But he paid no heed to this, only pushed them out of the way and punched the mass of wood Tamama had fallen into.

"…Something's wrong…." Giroro muttered to himself, alert at this, now. He looked to Panyo, then to the handcuffs. A deep breath and a pull later, he'd broken out of these. He lifted up his gun, and turned to Kirere. "Stay here!"

"What? What's wrong?" Kirere asked, in a panic. "Dad? Dad, what's wrong!?"

"W-Wait! You're still under arrest, panyo!" Panyo shouted out to him, rushing after the red Keronian.

The alien had taken the fight out of the ring; a clear violation of the rules. And now the Deputy had switched gears from Giroro, and was attempting to get him to move away from Tamama, but with no luck. She finally resorted to shakily shooting the alien in the shoulder, but it only stopped a moment and snorted, and glanced in her direct.

Its eyes were glowing, now. She took a nervous step back, and all could see now it open its mouth, and a charge emit from it, moments later, in the form of a bright beam. This missed her by inches, and she fell back, shaking.

"H-HEY! OVER HERE!" Giroro, too, looked up at the sound of the voice, as did the bull alien. It was Hachichi, standing and waving his white coat in front of him, now. "Over here! Come here! You want me, too! Come on!"  
This distracted the alien long enough; but this was enough. A burst of a Tamama impact shown out of the rubble, and the enemy alien blew back. And as it sat there, stunned, Tamama stumbled out, shaking and battered but alive.

"…You…. You're a bad Mr. Monster, yes…." he coughed.

The bull shook its head, and stumbled to him. It was preparing a charge of its own, but it never finished; before it could, the blunt side of the Lucifer spear hit it straight atop the head, and it collapsed. And Angol Mois, in her true form, looked down at Tamama and smiled. And he, for once, returned a weak, grateful smile to her.

And then he himself passed out.

"Ehhh…." he woke up again, later, in a hospital room. It was just as old-fashioned as the rest of the place, with white wooden walls and a wash basin in the corner. He wasn't alone in the room, he realized after a moment. Hachichi sat in the wooden rocking chair next to him, looking a bit drained, but he immediately brightened as he saw him awaken.

"Hey! You gave us a scare!" he giggled, rising from his chair. "Don't worry, everyone's fine, thanks to you! That Tarvian concentrating all of his rage on you allowed everyone else to escape! He says he doesn't remember anything about what's going on, but the Sheriff and Deputy have got him detained, all the same."

"….I could've beaten him…." Tamama grumbled. "I could've beaten him by myself…."

"I…. It's okay. You're in a team for a reason, you know!" Hachichi answered. "And you'll get stronger!"

"…Do you still think I should've quit that battle?"

"Well, I sort of knew you wouldn't, no matter how much I asked…. But I had to try, right?" he admitted with a light chuckle.

There was quiet in the room, for a while. The only noises came from outside, the small voices, the ambient noise of people living their lives, already back to normal, even after all of the excitement of the day.

"…So who are you, anyway?" Tamama had turned away from Hachichi to look out the window.

"I'm a doctor," Hachichi answered confidently. "…I actually should be going, now. Other places to be, haha! You take care, though, okay? Don't be hard on yourself!"

Tamama said nothing to this, only watched as Hachichi walked to the door and quietly muttered, "he can see you, now".

It was no sooner he said this that Kirere burst through, hopped onto the bed, and embraced Tamama about the neck tightly. In as much pain as he was in, this was the last thing he wanted, from the last person he wanted.

"Don't do that again!" she shouted at him, punching him in the shoulder once for good measure. "You're such an idiot, just like all boys!"

"…You're such a shrew…" he choked in return.

Giroro, second in, worked Kirere off with a few moments of prying; he was an expert at removing her from people when she was giving them hugs, now. He set the little girl down on the ground and then huffed a sigh.

"I don't think we need to report this to headquarters," Giroro scratched his cheek and looked down to the ground.

"Just like you getting arrested, right?!" Kirere chirped, and Giroro flinched.  
"Y-Yes, just like that…"

There were more people in the room, now—Mois, Porara, and Deputy Panyo. They were gathered around the room, and Hachichi had gone, vanished from sight.

"You have my apologies for not being here," Porara said with a tip of the hat to Tamama. He then turned to Panyo, and did the same, "I should have been here for you, too, Deputy. That was foolish of me."

"It's all right, Sheriff, panyo! Sometimes we do things that turn out to be bad ideas for people we like—Like agree to take care of the entire security patrol for a huge event like this when we know we'll be in over our head, panyo!"

Porara did a double-takem "W-What?"

"Nothing, panyo! You can always make up for it with lunch, Sheriff!" she giggled, waving her hand quickly back and forth.

"…Could you say, I'm actually the first to know for once….?" Mois chimed in.  
"Who was that other Keronian you two were with?" Giroro wondered, now noticing he had vanished.

"Hachichi! He's a doctor!" Kirere chimed in.

"Hachichi…." Giroro thought and thought, but couldn't place the name. "….All right, pack your things, the air lift should be here soon for you, Tamama. Kirere, you come with me…."

"Okay! Oh, Porara-san, I got bored so I upgraded your ship!" Kirere announced to the Sheriff as she passed by.

Porara eyed the child uneasily, "...I didn't ask, but thank you, I suppose…"

"And your radio! And the stove! And both of the TV's, too! You get channels in Canada, now! Both regular AND space Canada!" she giggled, and Giroro took her by the arm.

"You know what we said about upgrading peoples' houses when they weren't home and didn't ask…." Giroro sighed.

"But the walking toaster was a great idea! Papa loved it!"

"Because it wreaked havoc. It attacked Dororo," Giroro replied as they continued down the hall, their voices now faint. "He still panics when he hears the sound of one."

It was nighttime in Japan, and Tamama was placed on bed rest until further notice. Keroro, in typical Keroro fashion, found little use for the metal that they had gone to retrieve, already having moved on to the next hare-brained scheme, this one involving the deadly toaster that Kirere had built. The idea of this alone sent Dororo into a panic attack, and he had quickly left the meeting for the Amazon with Koyuki.

This left time for Giroro to wander down to the lab, undetected, as much as he hated to during the late night hours.

"….I wonder if you ever sleep some times…." Giroro muttered as he spotted Kururu in his normal spot in his normal chair, scanning over the screens attached to the surveillance cameras, presumably.

"Kuku! A late-night rendezvous… I don't think I'm ready for such a thing, Senpai!"

"Kn-Knock it off!" Giroro snapped. "…I need you to look up someone for me…."

"Kuku, who's wronged you, now? Also, how was jail?"

"H-How did you-?! ….His name's Hachichi, a doctor, Kirere said. He was a Keronian…. There's just something about him… I don't think I like it. He showed up out of nowhere and he vanished without a word."

"Hachichi, neh?" a few keystrokes on the computer, followed by large "X" symbols on the screen. "…No one with that name who's a doctor on Keron…."

"That's what I thought…" Giroro muttered. "…Who, then….?"

"Kuku, could have gotten his certification somewhere else, Senpai. If we've learned anything over the past few years, it's that Keronians aren't exclusive to Keron…."

"I. I suppose. Thank you, Kururu," Giroro nodded, and quietly left. Kururu casually looked over his shoulder to check he was alone, and then reached for his headset.

"Hello?" he asked into It after a few moments' wait. "Yeah, it's me, kuku. I know it's late here. Could you put her on the line? Thanks…"


	73. Rokiki & Romama: Household Invasion Pt1

Lol, ya'll know the drill by now: school. It's always with the school, learning things and such. Anyway, this is out now, and hopefully it's good. ; Ugh, sorry as always for the wait, everyone, I feel like such a slacker!

Episode 36:  
Rokiki and Romama: A Household Invasion  
Part 1

Romama could tell as Aya sat across from him at the table that something was on her mind. While they didn't often do that much talking to begin with during their afternoon meetings, today she seemed particularly preoccupied, focusing on the shelf of nesting dolls on the back wall of the living room.

"A-Aya-chan? Is everything okay?" the young teal boy pushed a tray of freshly-prepared fruit to her, and she nodded, snapping out of her deep thought.

"Y-Yes, it's just that… Well…" she set her cup of tea down and smiled, "My mom wants to meet you."

Romama, who had taken this opportunity to sip his own cup, choked a bit on it.

"Are you okay?!" she gasped.

"Y-Yes…" he answered, shakily placing it back on the porcelain saucer. "I… I'd like to."

"That's great!" she clasped her hands together and smiled. "I'll let her know you can come over for dinner!"

"D-Dinner?"

"That's okay? I promise, no meat!"

"Yeah... Yeah, that's... That's great," he regained his composure, and sat back.

The one time he'd met Kodada's parents, her mother had offered him something close to a what Pekoponians called "meat loaf". Her father had threatened to shoot him. And now he stood in front of the clothing store, and realized exactly how long it'd been since then.

He could fight a war, he could go up against monsters, battle Rokiki without any fear at all…. But meeting parents?... That truly terrified him.

And he found himself in the store, looking about the racks of clothing idly, trying to figure out exactly what would be best…. His own Pekoponian wardrobe was incredibly limited, but it'd been growing since venturing out with Aya more. Whether or not these were simple trips out, or dates… He wasn't sure. Neither of them were, he surmised.

Jeans. Jeans were good. They were practically a currency, back in Russia when they'd been introduced into the USSR. He remembered so little of this time, though… Just small, funny things like that.

Button-up shirts; Nikki had worn these a lot. Before he'd opted for suits. Before he'd opted for….

Romama didn't think about this any further; he chose a white one that seemed like it would fit him, and then hurried off to the shoes.

After a phone call to both Mahihi and Fujuju for advice, both of whom were contending with their own screaming children, he'd discovered sneakers would work for this occasion. He caught a glance of himself in the mirror of his living room and removed the bandanna from his head, placing this in his back pocket and then messing with the silvery-bluish hair of his Pekoponian for; it had probably been a head full of teal hair before his nephew, and now he was prematurely graying.

"…Nothing to worry about…" he said to himself with a puff.

"Oh, good. I hoped I wouldn't be imposing upon Ojiisama with my presence~ Now, what to have… The melon or the banana? Melon is delicious, but banana has potential for comedic affect…"

"Have the—" Romama spun around, and felt himself go a little more gray at the sight of his nephew. Keroro had somehow snuck into the kitchen, and was in front of his refrigerator, his arms full of snacks.

Romama began to feel himself shake, "What… Are you doing here… You fool…?"

"Gero gero ge~ I just thought I would help cheer Ojiisama out on his date!"

"W-What?!"

"I heard from Fuyuki-dono, who heard it from Nishizawa-dono, who heard it from Tamama, who heard it from Fujuju-san!"

The shaking was worse now, and his face had gone red. He leaned against a nearby chair to keep from lunging or simply collapsing. He felt as though he could have done either.

Keroro gasped in delight, the unfortunate sign of an idea forming, "I've got it! We can do a double-date, Ojiisama! Although I'll need a date… I wonder if Giroro still has that dress… Chunini-san's at the house mooching off of our food there right now, maybe she would be interested!"

"L-Leave…" Romama said in a quiet voice. "Now…"

"Oh, it's all right, Ojiisama! Nothing to be worried about, we've all been cheering on you and Aya-dono for a long time, now! Although this means Dororo won the pool… I wonder if he even remembers signing up for it…"  
Keroro didn't get another word in. Romama physically pushed him out, arms still full of fruits and vegetables.

"Ojiisama? Ojii….? Gero, he must be nervous… This is understandable! …Thinking about it, though, I can't remember the last date any of us had…. Huh. So hard when you have a full-time job with so many people depending on you, though… I barely have enough hours for my hobbies, as is… Oh, well, maybe I'll just be married to my work and leisure…" he shrugged this off, and headed down the stairs.

What he didn't see was Dororo on the fence, standing, looking on in disbelief.

"I… I only came to give Romama-dono some advice… And now Keroro-kun's gone to forgetting Lupapa-dono, too?" he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

He cleared his throat and knocked on the door once, and waited for an answer.

And Aya opened the door, and gave an embarrassed smile, "A friend of my mother's invited us over to their house for dinner… It… It's okay if you come, too. Would you mind?"

He'd said he hadn't minded. He was suspicious as she told him that they could walk to the house, and his heart sank as he saw which house she meant. The Indian décor was starting to seep out of t he house, and there was an ornately carved bench in the well-kept garden out front. He'd watched Rokiki put this garden in, himself. It was part of his rehabilitation, getting habits that didn't involve drinking. This usually involved the neighbors hearing either the noise of hand tools going to a block of wood or the dull noise of a hoe making room for more flowers in the strangest hours.

He really did enjoy digging in that garden though, Romama noted, from what he'd seen out of his apartment window. He wondered if Rokiki ever fantasized about burying the Demon Major himself in the ground whenever he planted a new rosebush. The garden was filled with rosebushes, now. Even in the autumn months, he planted.

Mora, in her tiny human form, answered the door with a bright and cheerful smile, dressed in a blue and gold Sari, with her hair done up much like her fins in her Maronian form. She bowed and stepped aside to allow them in, smiling and turning her head curiously at Romama.

At the couch was Rokiki, or his human form. Small, stocky, and tan-skinned with dark reddish hair. The tattoos and ancient purple eyes remained the same. He was dressed in a traditional Indian outfit, as well, this one a deep red and black color. Chandi was beside him on the couch, curled up and not giving much notice to the new visitors. She was in jeans and a sweater, her long hair, usually in a bun, done up in a long braid instead. In her lap was a book, and in one of her hands an old iron doorknob.

Rokiki's neutral expression fell into a deep, shocked frown as he laid eyes on Romama. He grumbled something, stood, and trudged back to the dining room.

"That must mean dinner's ready!" Mora exclaimed cheerfully. "Please follow me!"

Aya's mother looked a lot like her, Romama noted. This wasn't unusual, though; he had looked just like his mother, and his sister had looked just like his father.

Rokiki seemed bored with the small talk and uncomfortable at the table, but then again, Romama remembered him looking uncomfortable at anything that would've been considered civilized by most people. He knew Rokiki often made things like chairs and couches, but from the uncomfortable way he sat at the one in the dining room, now, he wondered how often he actually used these.

"And you own your own dance studio! That's really quite impressive!" Aya's mother exclaimed to Romama. "Your parents must be so proud of you!"

Romama looked up from his salad briefly, caught Aya's expression, and then nodded, "I'm sure they would."

"…He doesn't have his parents, Mama," Aya whispered.

He mother's eyes widened at this, and gave a small gasp, "No family at all?"

Romama thought for a moment. He thought deeply. Admitting his nephew would… Also mean explaining his nephew. And Aya's mother meeting his nephew.

"N-No," he said in a near whisper, and immediately took a bite of his food. If he said it quietly enough, it wouldn't sound so much like a lie to him. Rokiki shot daggers at the boy, and all were quiet until, yet again, Mora broke the silence.

"You know, I don't think Chandi's seen Aya-chan around in school!" Mora admitted through a bite of her food. "Have you, Chandi?" Mora gave a desperate and polite smile toward her daughter. Please give me this, Chandi, her eyes seemed to say.

"Yeah, no…." Chandi muttered, her eyes not lifting up from her lap; the book sitting on it was all but to painfully obvious.

"I… I think we go to different schools…" Aya answered with a nervous chuckle. "I… I'm at Kurakawa Academy. Have you heard of it?"

"That private school?!" Mora gasped. "I heard that was so hard to get into! Chandi didn't even want to try it was so impossible!"

"I didn't like the uniform," Chandi replied, her eyes to her book.  
Rokiki snorted and rolled his eyes; Mora was desperately trying to keep composure of her family, but it was becoming increasingly apparent to her as to how social inept they both could be, as much as she loved them.

"Do you have any other children?" Aya's mother inquired, and Rokiki gave an odd shift of the eyes. Mora smiled shyly.

"No," she answered with a laugh. "There's always more time, though!"

"W-What?" was the response of Rokiki, Romama, and Chandi in unison. Aya tried to hold back a laugh while her mother only looked a bit confused.

"You never said crap about-!"

"Yeah! What do you mean?!" Chandi and Rokiki both started talking at once, on either side of Mora. And at once, Mora's face darkened, and she took each by a shoulder. Both shuddered back, similar looks of panic on their faces.

"…We're going to be in the kitchen for a moment. Excuse us," she rose, and along with her rose Rokiki and Chandi.

There were muffled yells from the kitchen—Romama wasn't sure of the language, but they were all exchanging in it, Rokiki's language shaky, until her finally opted for what Romama assumed was Sankakun.

"…So, are you two… Are you boyfriend-girlfriend now?" Aya's mother asked. Aya flushed deeply, and Romama's yellow cat eyes went wide at having suddenly been put on the spot.

They were back. They were back, and Romama was saved from answering.

"Sorry! We left desert in the kitchen and had to get it!" Mora giggled sweetly. Both Rokiki and Chandi looked pale.

"But… You didn't bring any back," Aya's mother said slowly.

Mora paused for a moment, and then stood and walked back into the kitchen. She returned with a gallon of ice cream and a serving spoon, and grinned a charming, if not a bit weary, grin.

"All better!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

It was then Romama heard it, first. It was like a small grumbling noise… While Mora and Aya's mother went on, talking, so did the mumbling. Rokiki looked up from his dinner, having also heard something. Then a loud smash—A clock, behind Aya, Romama, and Aya's mother, had flown from one end of the room to the other, and fallen on the ground, splintering.

"…Termites," Rokiki answered immediately, and rose. "I'll go check it…."

"Termites?" Aya's mother repeated.

"F-From India!" Mora replied, waving her hand. "It must be from when we unpacked! They're always getting into things!"

"I-I'll go, too," Romama added, standing and uneasily following him into the kitchen. "I hear they're big."

"Very!" Mora added.

Chandi looked up from her book, now, only coming back to the world, "…What happened to our clock?"

"Termites!" Mora answered, shooting her head over to her daughter. "Very big ones!"

Romama stepped into the kitchen just as he saw Rokiki up on a stool, reaching to the top of the fridge. He came back down, a machete in hand.  
Romama's eyes went wide, and he stepped back. He was on neutral terms with Rokiki at best, now, after all.

"…You heard it, too, right?" he asked, flipping the machete over and examining it. The light from the bright fluorescent fixture overhead glinted off of it.

"Yeah… And that clock…"

"…Well, it'll get taken care of…"

"You… You can't take that out there!" Romama yelped as Rokiki headed to the dining room, blade in hand. He grabbed him by the shoulder tightly, and Rokiki glared at him.

"Why not? What, is this about your little girlfriend? Same reason you don't have any family here?"

"…It was probably just nothing, is all…" Romama suggested. "It was probably just the wind. It gets strong here. Some times my door flies open when I'm at work."

But as he spoke, a small, ornate statue lifted itself up from the counter, and flew towards Rokiki's head. It smashed against a door, splintering the door.

"That was handmade!" Rokiki said with disbelief. "That's it, it's gone… And also, that door opening is your idiot nephew. You know, the one you don't have? He's not exactly smooth when he's trying to avoid those Pekoponians. He made himself a key months ago to escape that red-headed wench."

"Wh-What?!"

"Don't worry, the adults will show you how to get rid of a pest…" Rokiki mumbled, glaring at Romama.

"And ruin her dinner party?" Romama nodded out to Mora, and Rokiki paused, and allowed the machete to fall at his side, and his shoulders to fall along with them. If this went south… Mora had promised him with death, or worse. And from the shadows over her face when she mentioned the "or worse"….

"…And what do you think we should do….?" he grumbled, watching the salt and pepper shakers now rising up and floating about. They, too, rushed for Rokiki's head, but he ducked left, and then right, allowing both to miss him.

"I…. I have one idea…." Romama answered, looking out at the remaining dinner party.

"I can't believe you let me sit there while there was paranormal activity going on in my own house!" Chandi snapped as she flipped another page of her book, skimming it over for any clues as to what was going on. Rokiki had rushed back out to the dinner party as he and Romama noticed one of the chairs beginning to move a bit. This involved Rokiki taking a seat next to Aya, as opposed to where he had been beside Mora. Mora said nothing, only gave him a few confused glances. She chalked this up to another withdrawal symptom and continued talking to her neighbor.

"Did you find anything yet?" Romama asked, the kitchen lights above them flickering.

"It's some kind of house possession…" she muttered. "But what…?"

Another mystery growl. Romama, his eyes wide, looked about the kitchen, as did Chandi. She stood straight up, and looked about, searching for the noise. The growl was louder, now. And now, he could almost make out a word…. It sounded like…

A split-second, before Romama could even think to act, and she was gone. All he saw was a shadow swiftly rush through the kitchen, and she had vanished with it.

Romama stuck his head out the door, and Rokiki, feeling his presence, turned around. And the exchange between them said it all.


	74. Rokiki & Romama: Household Invasion Pt2

[quote="Rien~Ko"]I love you.[/quote]

I know. 3

EDIT: *sigh* All right. So, for every episode, some times they're broken up in to different files, and I patch it together at the end. This, because I had files everywhere with my computer screwing up, did not happen as well as is usually does. The entire beginning of this was missing. I'd really like to thank Rien for pointing this out to me, and hopefully, now, it's complete.

Anywayyyyyyy one holiday season and computer dying later I'm back, everyone .

Episode 36  
Rokik and Romama: A Household Invasion  
Part 2

"I told her she wasn't feeling good…" Rokiki rubbed his forehead and sighed. "You all make staying on the wagon really tough, you know that? …But I guess I won't be in trouble for ruining dinner if her kid's gone missing. She'll just kill me for that, now."

"Is she going to be okay?" Romama asked. With the local paranormal expert gone, the one from the next neighborhood over had been called in. Fuyuki had brought his own books, and with him, his own deeply concerned expression.

"So it's floating objects…. And it started tonight, you said?" Fuyuki looked up to Rokiki, who nodded in return, although nodding only made his head pound more, now.

"It said something," Romama added. "…"Home"… It… Said it in Russian, I think…."

Fuyuki lit up at this, "Russian? Wait, I think I've got it! I've heard of this! It's a household spirit! It's the-"

"Domovoi," Romama realized.

"Right!" Fuyuki exclaimed triumphantly, pointing to the entry in his book. "The domovoi, the house guardian!"

"Domo-what?" Rokiki glanced over Fuyuki's shoulder, and shuddered at the illustration. "They ran out of good looks when they got to him, I'm guessing."

"Rokiki-san, did you bring anything new into the house since last night?" Fuyuki asked, shutting his book and looking to the short Keronian-in-disguise.

"Not me… Wait! The brat did! It was a doorknob or something, she'd been holding it most of the day…"

"Its spirit must have transferred into it! It could think that it's still in its old home, and you're all invaders!"

Rokiki turned to Romama, "You, you lived in Russia. You and your Pekoponian pet ever see something like that?"

"No… Or, maybe… It could have been one of those years I lost…." Romama admitted, tilting his head down and doing his best to remember. "I remember something about it, though. They can be violent if they're not dealt with."

"And Chandi's with it… That little idiot…" Rokiki growled.

"—And that's how I learned exactly how hard Ojiisama could punch, gero gero ge~!" Romama's head shot up as his blood froze. That laugh from the other room….

Oh, no.

"How… Interesting…." Aya's mother gave a nervous laugh, and Romama shot a look to Fuyuki.

"You brought him with you!?"

"When I told Gunso, he told me he wanted to help," Fuyuki began to answer, but Romama was already out of the kitchen and into the dining room.

"….I think fighting that… Domo… Thing doesn't seem like such a bad option…" Rokiki muttered.

"Is Shosa all right?"

"...Girl issues," Rokiki answered. "Leave him. How do we get this thing?"  
Fuyuki went to finding the answer with Rokiki, which, much to Rokiki's confusion, involved old boots, and Romama went to see what was going on in the dining room.

"Oh! Ojiisama! Wonderful for you to join us!" Keroro gasped in delight. Romama merely glared and slid into his seat. If looks could have killed... Keroro would have frozen to death.

"Ojiisama? But... I thought you didn't have any family here..." Aya's mother began, looking across to Keroro. Keroro's joyful smile remained, although his confusion was evident.

"He... Didn't. They met recently," Aya replied. "Keroro-san is Romama-san's nephew! ... A couple of times removed!"

"That's right," Keroro nodded.

"I... I see the resemblance!" Aya's mother giggled unsurely at this, and Keroro merely beamed. Another yowl of laughter stopped all merriment at the table, however.

"What's that?" Aya's mother jumped at the sound of this, close to her daughter protectively. Keroro, too, jumped toward Romama, but this was for his own protection.

"Probably a blown fuse…" Romama surmised, wriggling out of Keroro's death grip. "I'll go check it."

"I'll go, too," Aya added, standing and taking a step towards him.

"A-Aya-chan…"

"What about that laugh?" Aya's mother asked, her concern growing even more, now. Even in the dark the unsure expression of allowing her daughter to go with Romama was evident.

"I…"

"I remembered a funny joke, is all, Aya Mama-dono!" Keroro chimed in. "Ojiisama told it to me, earlier!" Romama gave a small, surprised noise at this, and Keroro only looked to him, a cheery grin showing through the dark.

"We… We'll be back," Romama added, and looked to Keroro, his yellow eyes glinting, "Take care of Aya-chan's mother, all right?" As much as he hated it, he had no other choice but to trust his less-than-responsible relative.

"Right!" Keroro saluted, and watched the two as they headed back to the kitchen. He noticed, as they left, Aya take hold of Romama's hand. A moment of registering this, and he looked over to Aya's mother, and allowed his polite, homemaker self to take over.

"Aya Mama-dono, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the best kind of polish to use for silverware, would you?"

"I'm actually not that great of a cleaner," she admitted, and this was followed by another one of the laughs.

"I remembered another joke, gero," Keroro answered.

She then looked to her left, and paused, "….Where did Khan-san go…?"

And indeed, although the dark had made it hard to see, it was now painfully clear why Mora had been so quiet for a change. She wasn't there. Keroro felt his blood chill a bit. He was already doing poorly at his job.

"What's going on?!" Rokiki growled as they found themselves back in the kitchen. "Why's it getting colder in here, now?!"

Indeed it was. Fuyuki's breath was visible as he continued flipping through the pages of the old book, the doorknob in his hand. The doorknob, too, was colder, now. The boy shook and his teeth chattered as he continued reading.

"It's more of the Domovoi," Romama replied, his breath smoking, as well.

"What do we do about it!?" Rokiki snapped, his attention back on Fuyuki, now.

The boy paused, his full energy in his reading, and then he stopped. He shot his head up and straight at the nearest door, the one leading from the kitchen to the garage.

"We need to attach this to a door," Fuyuki answered, holding up the doorknob.

Rokiki gave a growl, roughly took it the metal knob out of Fuyuki's hand, and walked over to the door. A few moments of examining the doorknob that was already on there, and two or three kicks, and the old doorknob was off, having flown off of the wood, along with a few splinters. Within a few moments, and a few curses, the old doorknob was crudely attached to the door.

"That work?" he asked gruffly, rubbing his hands together.

"Y-Yeah," Romama and Fuyuki nodded.

Aya bolted from Romama's side, then, to the door.

"A-Aya-chan! Don't!" he yelped, reaching out to her. She had just placed her hand on the doorknob when a yell of surprise, and both turned around quickly. Fuyuki had vanished. Rokiki was about to give a yell of surprise, but didn't even get this far before, he, too, was swept away by the smoky black. Aya frowned deeper, and swung open the door, and rushed through it without another word.

"Aya-chan!" Romama rushed through after her without so much as another thought. He couldn't think at a time like this.

It was dark all around him. All he could see ahead of him was Aya. She seemed a million miles away from him, here.

"Aya!" he shouted out to her in a panic. She didn't hear him. She only continued, now running. She became a distant blur to him, and then she vanished. Romama was left wandering through the darkness.

This was just like….

He remembered this place. He'd been trapped here. It was here, or a place very much like here, but he had been trapped here, not too long ago. When he'd gotten out, the Pekopon he knew was gone. All he'd had during this time were memories… Memories of his family, of Kodada, and of Nikki.  
He was coming up on a light, now. And warmth. He felt warmth. There was a fire. And he was in a home, a log cabin, made of wood and populated by warm, worn furniture. There was something off about this place… He knew it, but… Something about it was wrong. The lighting was off. It looked like twilight in the room.

He stopped behind two cuddled-up people in front of the fire.

"…This is impossible…"

"It's not! It's my language!"

"…What's the point of this all again?"

"So we'll be able to read together! You hate me reading to you, so what are we supposed to do?"

The voice made Romama pause. He felt a lump in his throat. That voice… It was deeper when he met him. Nikki had been getting older, at this time. He was so tall, his hair so shaggy and unkempt.

"What's this about, anyway?" the tiny him asked, holding up the pamphlet upside down.

"How great the government is now that we're all starving," Nikolai answered in a laugh, setting it back down.

"Well, we don't have to come back here…."

"I know. But I miss the place, some times. It isn't perfect, but it's where we met, so it can't be that bad, now can it?" Nikolai smiled. "Plus it feels like the only place that doesn't change. It's one place that I can come back to….. Eh? Romama?"

"…I wish I had somewhere like that, is all…." Romama answered, glancing off into the fire. Nikolai pulled him into a hug and laughed.

"Don't be foolish! You've got this place! You've got me!"

"You change, though."

"Sure! Everything does! But a lot of times it's for the better! I've just gotten taller, so that I can reach the tall shelves better!"

"…It wasn't just that that was changing about you…" Romama muttered beneath his breath as he continued watching his past self and his past friend.

He should have said something. He'd wanted to. He could see the look on his own face, the slightly worried look. This was appeased by a tight hug from Nikolai.

"…I should have said something…." Romama whispered to himself, looking on at the hug. He reached out, then, slowly and shakily. He nearly placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

And then it went dark. Romama jumped back in shock, and looked about in a panic. A laugh, now. But it wasn't from the Domovoi. He turned around, and a little girl rushed past him, a balloon in her hand.

It was summertime in a park. The little girl rushed up to two Pekponian adults. He was in Japan—And he knew the park, too… He remembered this things, the swings, and the monkey bars, and everything. He passed by it nearly every day.

Walking towards them, Romama gasped as he recognized the little girl. Aya. Aya and her mother, but her mother looked healthier, and was smiling, and was walking without the limp she usually did. And there was a man, a tall man, well-built, with Aya's eyes. He lifted her up and swung her around.

"Tell him about your first day of lessons, Aya," her mother instructed.

"My ballet teacher says I'm great!" she exclaimed cheerfully, clutching onto her father and the balloon.

"Really now? Well, I know you're going to grow up to be one of the best, Aya!" he added cheerfully. "You're a natural!"

This second part, his voice wasn't alone. Romama looked to his left, and saw Aya there. Aya who was now, the Aya he knew.

She stood silent, watching this unfold, her expression hard to gauge. She then finally turned to Romama and brushed aside a few strands of hair, "…My father. And my mother. Before our accident. I was a good dancer, before. But it just wasn't the same, afterward. But… My father had had so much confidence in my, I just couldn't stop. Even though I wasn't as good as before."

The image went to black, slowly fading, and Romama awkwardly took a few steps to Aya. He placed an arm around her shoulders, and she, in return leaned against him.

They started walking again, and it once again began to brighten. Not by much, however. It seemed like the stars above them were the only light, along with a full moon. There was a smell of outdoors and water, and the sound of crying. Small, at first, but it grew louder and louder.

"Mora-san?" Romama stepped toward her, but noticed Mora in her own distinct off-light. This was just another memory. Mora gave a loud wail, followed by another series of sobs. There was a letter at her side. The language it was in was close to Keronian enough that Romama could recognize it. He couldn't understand every word, but he could get the gist of it… Some sort of… Breakup letter.

"I… I do everything right… So why….?" she asked herself through breaks in the sobs. She wiped her eyes and looked about, her cries softening, now, replaced by another wail. She raised her head, and floated upward—There was a moving bundle down the river, further, in a torn, old blanket.

"…A Pekoponian… A little one!" she whispered. "D-Did I make you cry? I'm sorry…. Shh, shh… I-It's okay! I… You're okay! I-I'll take care of you, how about that? You… You look like you need somebody, too. Shh…"

"…Chandi," Romama concluded.

"So I'm in hers, now," Rokiki surmised, and Romama and Aya turned around, and noticed the Keornian-in-Pekoponian guise behind them, his arms folded.

"What, did we each have one?"

"Everyone except your idiot nephew…" Rokiki turned away from the scene and grumbled. "I was just in that boy your nephew's friends with. Something about a department store, I think..."

"So does that mean you have one, too?" asked Aya.

"Yes. Go to mine and you'll regret it," Rokiki answered.

"Not like we could help it…" Romama grumbled, following the quickly-rushing away Rokiki. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know!" Rokiki admitted, and stopped to look around at the darkness.

Aya pulled closer to Romama. It was yet another noise… Another laugh.

This one, though… The Domovoi's laugh. He placed an arm around her protectively in response, and Rokiki drew closer to the two, as well, slowly pulling out a small dagger from underneath his shirt.

There was a rush of air, and a growl. Aya gave a yell and shuddered. The Domovoi, invisible in the dark, had slashed. Romama's shirt now had a tip on the arm. He looked down at the cut, and Romama pulled Aya as close as he could to him, to shield her.

"Run," Rokiki instructed him, "Go on! Do it!"

"What? But—"

"Damnit, GO!"

Romama did just this, instructing Aya not to let go of his hand along the way. She yelled and tumbled.

"Aya," he bent down to lift her up, and just as quickly vanished.

And before she could fully register this, she was gone, too.

She came to in a blue room. Well, that wasn't quite right. The room had color, but all of these were drowned out in the blue light. The light was matched by the cold in the room. She rose off the cool wooden floor and rubbed her head. She wasn't sure about the silence around her… Was it the room, or…?

A few claps. A snap or two or the fingers. And finally feeling up to her ears; the hearing aids had fallen out. She stood, stumbling, looking for anything to clutch onto. She found balance with the help of a set of wooden stairs. She pulled the light sweater she had on around her closer, and was now able to look about better, her eyes adjusting to the dark. Romama was on the ground at her feet.

She gasped, feeling the air escape her throat, but not hearing herself, and bent down. There was a still a pulse… But he wouldn't wake up, even when she shook him roughly. She stood again and searched about the old-fashioned room. Mora was on the floor, an arm protectively over a sleeping Chandi. Rokiki was there, as well, and Fuyuki… They all looked okay… Aya breathed a sigh of relief and turned about, and noticed the front door—It was the kitchen door, same with the poorly-placed doorknob.

'Why aren't you like them?' the voice rushed through Aya's mind suddenly, like another cold chill.

It wasn't as though she was hearing it… She sensed it. And the voice compelled her up the stairs, and into a back room… She noticed the decorations of the home, now… They looked familiar, like… The decorations in Romama's home. Maybe this was a Russian-style home?

She opened the back bedroom door, which moved without effort. And in the middle of the floor was a single, furry creature, about the size of a person. Its blue eyes looked up from beneath the black fur to her, a little fearful, a little confused.

'Why aren't you like them?' it asked again, in a heavily accented, gravely voice.

"I can't hear. Maybe that's why," she answered, pulling her hair back. It was in the laugh. It had to be.

She couldn't hear the words out of her mouth, but she could feel them. She was probably being a little loud. "Maybe that has something to do with it. Why are you doing this? Are my friends all right?"

'Your friends?'

"Mm. Why did you do that to them?"

'….Memories,' it answered after a pause. '…I wanted their memories. Their good memories.'

"You don't have your own?" she knelt down across from it. The creature's eyes fell a bit, and there was another pause.

'No new ones,' it answered.

"And you want new ones. What was your life like… Before?"

'Happy. I wanted more happy memories. I was left. The house was left. I was left.'

"So this is your old house," she stood up and walked around. "…It's beautiful."

'I want my house. To live in my house.'

Aya sighed and returned to kneeling down in front of it, "…It's all right that things change. I miss my old house, too."

'Your old house….?'

"We moved after my father died. My mother didn't want the bad memories…. Bad memories some times… Make the good ones better…. How about you come stay with one of us, Domovoi-san?"

It raised its head at this. For a moment, Aya saw hope. And then its head lowered again.

'…You'll only leave, too,' it answered through its scratchy voice.  
Aya was quiet. And then she sighed, "…Everyone down there has had someone leave at one time or another. Even I have. But… You go on the good memories you have, but you make more, too. Some times with other people. I know someone who will help you out, if that's okay! He'd love you!"

'…You promise….'

Aya reached out, and the Domovoi jerked back. But after a moment of hesitation, it stopped resisting, and it allowed Aya to take its hand.

"I promise," she answered with a nod.

"…Ugh. My head…" Romama groaned and sat up. He flushed as he realized Aya was around him, her arms around him.

"Leave it at your apartment," Rokiki growled, sitting up and rubbing his own head. "…Don't tell me I'm hung over…"

"A-Aya-chan? Aya-chan?" Romama nudged her awake, and she sat up and smiled. She frowned, feeling something in her sweater pocket, weighing it down. She pulled out the doorknob, and a small grin quickly grew on her face. Reaching in again, she found her hearing aids in the pocket, too.  
She brushed back her hair, and couldn't hear what was being said as Rokiki confronted Chandi, but could make out the body language. She watched as he started with an angry look, but this softened as he noted Chandi's own regretful expression. This changed into only a small frown, and he sighed, and patted her on the head.

Fuyuki helped Mora to stand, and at this point, Aya had placed her hearing aids in once again.

"What happened?" Rokiki asked, looking to the occult-loving boy.

"He found a new home," Aya rexplained, grinning and holding up the doorknob. "Romama-chan… This is yours."

"Mine?"

"I promised him you'd take care of him."

Romama looked to Fuyuki for help, and the boy held up his hands, "Gunso's enough for Nee-chan."

"I can't even have goldfish," Chandi added.

"You're lucky if you're going to be allowed sunlight after this," Rokii snapped, and Mora nudged him in the ribs.

"I… I guess I can…" Romama muttered.

"Mom!" Aya gasped, releasing that not everyone was spoken for. She rushed out, and didn't find either her mother or Keroro in the dining room. Keroro's laugher wasn't far-off, however. Aya opened the front door and rushed out, and found her mother and Keroro seated on the porch, a cup of tea for each of them.

"Aya!" her mother stood and smiled. "It's about time! I was wondering how long you all would be!"

"I…"

"Romama-san's kind nephew explained it all to me!" Keroro smiled in Romama's direction as he refilled Aya's mother's tea cup. "I just never knew dinner theater was so popular in India!"

"E-Eh?" Mora's mouth twitched, and Chandi and Rokiki wore similar looks of disbelief. Fuyuki gave a small, nervous laugh.

"It… It really is…." Mora added after a silence.

"It's so fun, we'll have to do that again! Usually regular dinners are so boring, but this was fun!"

"We're doing a murder-mystery next month. He's the body," Chandi nodded to Rokiki.

"…The ice you're on is getting thinner by the moment," Rokiki hissed to her.

"I-I'm so glad you had a great time!" Mora's voice was strangely high-pitched. "We… We better clean up from it, now! Let's go, Chandi!"

"We'll do it, next time, what do you say, next week?"

"W-We're going to be out of town," Mora answered, and hurried back into the house, Chandi close behind her. "We'll see you again!"

"You. Over here," Rokiki motioned to Romama, and after a bit of hesitation, he followed his former platoon member to the other side of the yard.

"What?"

"First. That green one… Apologize to him. He's the reason why your little girlfriend's mom didn't go running off screaming into the night… And it'll make up for when I've got him within an inch of his life for roping me into dinner theater."

"….Y-Yeah…"

"Second. Your little girlfriend. She went up against that monster Mora's kid dragged home. That took guts."

"Mm."

"We marry people like that, where I'm from," Rokiki added, looking out to Aya. Romama went red, and Rokiki gave a huff. "That still doesn't mean I like you. I think you're as big an idiot as ever. But I'd be an idiot not to point that out."

Rokiki walked back into his house, and Romama was left with Aya and Keroro both looking back to him.

"Starfruit! And melons! Three kinds! A-And kiwis!" Keroro circled the large fruit basket with the carved fruits, standing in a place of honor in the center of the dining room table. "It's just so beautiful!"

"You said that all already!" Natsumi sighed. "Now can we please open it already?"

"It's just too beautiful…." Keroro looked down to Romama, still dressed in his outfit from ballet teachings. "Ojiisama's really outdone himself! This is a wonder!"

"That's not… This is yourself, too," Romama revealed a bag from behind himself, and held it out to Keroro. Keroro hopped down, and quickly opened it, his eyes shining at the sight of the Gunlpa figurine. "Do you know how hard it is to find one that you don't ha—URK!"

Romama stiffened at the tight embrace of Keroro, and remained in this position, even after Keroro had let go.

"W-What did I do to deserve something so grand?!" Keroro asked, holding onto the box lovingly.

"It's… For the other night, for yours and Fuyuki Hinata-san's help. You didn't let Aya-chan's mom get taken. I don't know how you did it, but you did."

"Gero… Well, it's what family does, Ojiisama!"

"R…Right," Romama turned away from the two, headed back to the front door.

"Eh? Romama, did you want to stay for dinner? We can make some vegetarian," Natsumi suggested.

"I'm okay…. I have someone else to meet. Another time," Romama replied.

The door closed, and Keroro was again beaming, "Look, Natsumi-dono! Gunpla!"

"You're still not out of doing chores tonight, Stupid Frog…"

"…Gero…"

"…I can't believe I've never been here before!" Aya gasped, and looked out at the lake in front of them.

"I… I had it suggested to me…" no mention of Rokiki mentioning it. Never. He took another bite of his taiyaki, and Aya did the same with her. "H-How's your mom doing?"

"Great. We're getting costumes together for next month's dinner," she laughed. "You're invited…"

"…I'll… See what's going on. I could be busy."

"No. There's no getting out of it!" she laughed. There was a rush of cold wind, and she shuddered. Instinctively, Romama placed an arm around her shoulders.

Both stopped walking, not really minding the new cold breeze. Aya turned to face Romama, and he to her.

"…I know that… With your girlfriend before…"

Romama kissed her on the cheek, and then resumed walking alongside her. Aya only giggled at this, and pulled closer to him.

"Grandfather Domovoi…" Romama called out, and crouched down in front of the stove in his small apartment. In front of it he laid a small saucer of milk, as well as a bit of bread. "I brought you dinner."

The only answer was a small laugh of delight, barely audible. Romama laughed in return and stood, touching his crest and returning to his normal form. He was able to walk to his bedroom now and open the door in his alien form, thanks to some handiwork by Rokiki. There would be questions, when he eventually. But that was the last thing on Romama's mind, now.

"How's the grounding with her going?" Rokiki grunted, and shaved away another strip of wood. The log in question was looking more and more like its desired shape with every swipe, and was now in the beginnings of looking like a chair leg.

"I think no occult for a week is good enough, don't you think?" Mora answered, floating closer and closing the garage door behind her. This had long-since been converted to Rokiki's workshop.

"…You must need something if you're out here," Rokiki surmised, stopping his woodworking now and looking up to Mora.

"I… I saw what your memory was," Mora answered. Rokiki's eyes fell and he resumed carving. "…It was nice."

"..You really think that, eh?"

Mora nodded, and Rokiki gave a grunt.

"Well, if you say so…"

Mora embraced him, for just a moment, and then let go, and headed back into the kitchen. Rokiki didn't realize it at first, and stopped himself from his work when he did. He was actually smiling.


	75. Kirere: He's Getting Married! Pt1

Episode 37  
Kirere: He's Getting Married?!  
Part 1

"Dad? Dad?" Kirere looked left, and then right. Not a soul in the tent save for Neko. The little girl crept in, and the cat only raised her head once, only to lower it once more as she recognized Kirere.

He wasn't there. Perfect. She petted Neko's head as she passed by, and then began to rummage. What a nice surprise this would be, his damaged radio fixed. She giggled as she lifted it up, after a great effort, and grunted as she headed out of the tent with her haul. It was a long trek back down to her workshop, and an even longer making an effort to avoid her father.

"Papa, can I borrow a screwdriver?" she called out in mid-grunt as she set the radio down again and stretched, allowing her back some reprieve. Kururu was, as per usual, his back turned to her, typing away at this computer. The typing pause for but a moment, and a yellow hand stretched out and waved her off.

"Thanks!" she gasped cheerfully.

"Kukuku…." was the only response as she gasped in excitement and began the rummage through his tools. After picking out the one she needed, a long flat-headed one, she scurried back to her small workshop. It was already filled with half-finished projects that she'd either become bored with or too distracted by other projects to complete. She had to wipe away another project that was in the middle of her dented and scratched work-desk, and paid little attention to the clings and clangs of the falling metal.

"Let's see what's going on here…" she murmured, putting the radio on its side and beginning to unscrew it. The batteries would have to come out, first. She'd had too many close calls of electrocuting herself, and she knew better, now.

The puzzle was not the fact that there were no batteries, when she opened it, but the golden ring that was hidden away in the place of batteries was enough of a shock that she dropped the screwdriver.

"W-What is g-going on here?" she muttered shakily, holding up the expensive ring.

"…Why are we here again?" Ronene asked with a sigh as he looked about the train station with annoyance. He set his bag to the side, and looked about with annoyance, "Where is Shrimpy, anyway?"

"She said she'd be here," Yobibi reassured him. "Why'd you bring so much, anyhow?"

"Because it's been forever since we've seen her and she's been dodging trying on these for me," he answered, nodding to the bit of tulle sticking out of one of the bags. "And how'd you even talk you Grandma into letting you go, Tehaha?"

"She thinks I'm staying at Yobibi's," he answered, pulling down his surgical mask briefly and then replacing it. "…She'd never let me come here if she knew. Pekopon's supposed to have loads of germs on it…"

"I hear it's a dump. And from what I've seen, they weren't wrong."

"You guys be nice? Please?"

"Hey! There you are!"

"Shrimpy! Where the heck have you been?"

"S-Sorry," Kirere stopped and scratched the back of her head.

"Everything okay? You sounded worried on the phone," Yobibi lifted up his bags, in addition to Tehaha's, and followed Kirere down the train station sidewalk.

"I will be, now that you guys are here," she answered with a reassuring smile.

"…It's a ring…" Yobibi glanced down at the gem.

"Are you kidding, this is an investment!" Ronene whistled, picking it up and examining it in the light. "I can't find an imperfection in it anywhere! Shrimpy you got a magnifying glass?"

"Over there," she pointed over her shoulder to her workbench, and Ronene went to rummaging.

"Maybe it's some sort of weapon!" Tehaha exclaimed excitedly. "Keroro Gunso would be smart enough to do something like that!"

"I-It looks like just a ring…" Yobibi replied, trying to ease his friend down from any other ideas as easily as possible.

"It'd be a curse to call it just a ring," Ronene said from his spot perched on the workbench, looking over the gem in a better light, now.

"Where'd you get something like this, anyhow, Kirere-chan?" Yobibi asked.

"You finally got a boyfriend?" Ronene asked, and all three boys looked her direction, now, inquisitive.

"N-No! Nothing like that!" she waved her hands furiously to fend off these rumors.

"Not even Tamama Nitohei?" Tehaha inquired.

"ESPECIALLY not that!" she snapped, waving her arms about. "I found it in my dad's room!... My one dad! ….G-Giroro's!"

"Ahhh," the three nodded.

"W-Wait, that wasn't in the comic!" Tehaha gasped in shock. "That wasn't even in the fan magazine!"

"…One of these days you're going to realize that TV and comics don't match up to real life," Ronene hopped off of the workbench and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. He passed the ring back to Kirere and shrugged. "Well, if he gets married, he gets married. No big deal, right? People don't always stay married, nowadays, so it's no big deal if you don't like her."

"I-I do like her…. It's just…." Kirere glanced downward.

Yobibi stepped forward to her and smiled. "If there's anything you need us to do, let us know, okay?"

The door to her workshop opened, and Kirere frowned with confusion at the sight of the figure hidden behind the several pizza boxes. And then these were set down, and Giroro was visible. Tehaha immediately went silent with awe, and hid behind Ronene.

"Kirere… I… Heard you were having friends over. You shouldn't throw parties without permission. I… We'll have to talk about this later. U-Until then… I found these, outside. You shouldn't let guests go hungry."

"…He seems a little bit awkward when he's not on the battlefield…." Yobibi said to his friends in a whisper.

"He just does it to save up energy for when he does have to battle," Tehaha replied quickly.

"…Again. I'm going to feel sad for you when you decided to live in reality with the rest of us," Ronene mumbled.

"Thanks…." Kirere bowed her head down and looked at the pizza boxes.

"I… I'll leave you girls to your own devices, then. Carry on as you were," he backtracked out of the door, bumping into the doorframe, correcting himself, and then exiting.

"….Your dad thinks we're girls….?" Yobibi's eye twitched.

"I see you met her friends," Kururu stopped typing on his keyboard, and Giroro stopped, and sighed.

"You really should stop being so eerie while they're here. At least make the effort," Giroro sighed.

"I'm sure I could, with Senpai making the sacrifices he is and all with his attitude toward her and boys."

"What… What are you talking about?"

"…Kukuku… Think about it…."

Then it hit him. Boy. Boy. Sickly boy.

Giroro's eyes went wide, and he rushed back towards the workshop in a horrified panic.

"You really don't need to babysit us!" Kirere moaned.

"Quiet, I'm not liking this, either…. " Tamama grumbled, looking above his comic book to her.

"I-I can just sense the banter between them! Like an old married couple!" Tehaha whispered to himself.

"Quit making us your OTP!" Kirere snapped, and then sat down on the floor of the living room. Tamama glanced up at his comic book and sighed, tossing it aside, against his better judgment.

"What's up with you, anyway?" Tamama sat up from his slouched position.

"It's… Well…"

And by the time she had explained, Tamama's interest had grown, as well.

"Goucho, getting married?!" he exclaimed, wide-eyed. "He… Wasn't the first one I pictured this happening to…"

"So what do you want us to do about it, anyway?" Ronene huffed. "We're just a group of kids, what do you expect from us, miracles?"

"Kirere-chan?" Kirere jumped at the very sound of Natsumi's voice, now, and spun around. "You have some friends over?"

"R-Right! This is Tehaha-kun, Yobibi-kun, and Ronene-kun," Kirere exclaimed shakily. Her voice was loud and unnatural.

Natsumi leaned in a bit, and Kirere shirked back equally. Then the redhead bowed her head a bit, and huffed, "All right. Just don't break anything, okay? Or at least fix it if you do."

"R-Right!"

"This is painful," Tamama sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Natsumi smiled, patted her on the head, and continued up to her room, allowing herself a moment on the steps to look out at the living room and bemoan the sight of yet more idiot frogs in the home.

"This is even less than a base and more of a vacationing spot, now…" she murmured.

"Who was that?" Yobibi pointed to the stairs, and the three looked to Kirere's expression.

"She… She's going to be my mom, I think," Kirere answered.

"What?! HER?!" the three boys shouted in shock.

"Thanks for letting them stay here, Haruki," Kirere sipped her coffee and sighed into the cup. The boys were in the center of the small apartment, now, sleeping bags laid out. Tamama, too, joined them, looking less hesitant about "babysitting" and undertaking in one of his favorite pastimes—Bragging about his accomplishments. His audience in question, for this round, was the wide-eyed Tehaha. Ronene would occasionally shake his head and return to his sewing of his newest project for Kirere to wear, and Yobibi busied himself with a tour book of Pekopon.

The mechanic sat on the cot beside the little girl, and could see the concern in her look as she sipped the strong black coffee from the children's mug.

"What's wrong, kiddo? You've got all of your friends here, and that's even a blend you like! I didn't go cheap, for once!"

"I… I think my dad's getting married."

"Y-You'll have to clarify…"

"The red one?"

"Ah. Wow. Gave up on that girl, huh? Well what makes you think that? I haven't seen him with a girl or anything… But I guess he is pretty secretive…" he took a sip of his own coffee, just as black as Kirere's.

"I found this in his radio," Haruki choked out the coffee at the sight of the ring she retrieved from her glove, and looked down at the mess before him. It wasn't a long reach from his bed to his kitchen, and he was able to reach a towel in order to wipe himself off while his eyes remained on the ring.

"Wow! That looks expensive!" he exclaimed, setting aside the mug. "M-Maybe I should hold onto that for you?"

"No, it's okay. I wouldn't want you to be responsible for something this valuable, I'll be responsible for it," she answered.

"Hey, Shrimpy, we're playing a board game!" Ronene called up to her. "You in, or what?"

"I… Yeah! Just a second, okay?" she nodded. "What do you think I should do, Haruki?"

"W-Well, if he wants to, I mean… You'd want him to be happy above anything, right?" Haruki asked hopefully.

"…I guess so… I just…. I don't want things to change. I like how it is, now," she answered.

"But if stuff stayed the same, we wouldn't have met, right? If I'd decided to marry Kyoko-chan, I would've stayed and never met you or Lavie-chan, right?"

"Yeah…"

"I'm dealing you or you're not playing!" Ronene snapped.

"I'm coming, hold on!" she barked back. "Haruki, you can play with us?"

"I… I'd love to, kiddo, but… I've actually got somewhere to be tonight," he scratched the back of his head and gave an apologetic bow. "It'll just be for a little bit."

"Where? Is it fun?! Maybe we could join—"

"It's boring, I promise," he answered, and lifted her off of the bed. "But I'll be back in a little while to join you guys again! I won't be long, okay?"

"O-Okay," Kirere nodded, and took a seat at the middle of the room, with the boys. Tamama was currently fighting off the puppy, who had woken up at the smell of the snacks he'd brought with him. This finally culminated to Tamama leaning against the dog and sharing a bag of chips with it.

The game continued onto the evening, everyone falling asleep, one-by-one. Tamama was the first to, having fallen asleep against the full puppy. The dog itself had taken the empty chip bag as a sort of prize, guarding it underneath his chin. And then Tehaha fell asleep, clutching one of his comics and leaning on Yobibi, and Yobibi wasn't far-after, the die still in his hand.

"Lightweights. All of them," Ronene muttered, picking the die from Yobibi's hand and giving a roll. "Three spaces. Hey, Shrimpy, move me!"

"Huh? Okay. Sorry…"

"What's up with you?" he asked, leaning over and moving his own pawn.

"I just… What if my dad does get married to Natsumi-san?"

"Then he'll get married."

"No, but… It'll all change," she answered.

Ronene sighed and rolled his eyes, "My old man's been married three times. You just start to ignore it, after a while. Just feel lucky it's with someone you like, okay? None of us even have that."

Kirere winched at this, and then nodded. Looking around at them, he was absolutely right. She didn't even know that much about Tamama's family, so they couldn't have been overly close… Ronene sighed and knew that he'd gone too far, and he stood and set down the playing piece.

"Listen, I'm sorry, okay?" he sighed, and placed a hand atop her head, patting it a few times. "We're still friends?"

"You bet!" she giggled, and stood. Ronene's smile fell for a moment, but before he could act on this, or give reason for it, there was the sound of a motorcycle, and Kirere rushed to the window excitedly.

"Haruki's back!"

"…You know, he's got a dog, you don't have to act like an excited puppy every single time," Ronene struggled to join her on the table she'd shimmied up in order to look out the window. It was Haruki and a blonde woman Ronene didn't know. It was apparent Kirere did, however. He watched her expression as he kissed the woman on the cheek and then motioned for her to wait a moment.

"What? Oh my God don't tell me you've got a crush…"

"On—EW!"she exclaimed. "He's my best friend! I just—I didn't know that-!"

"Hey, kiddo!" the door opened and Haruki grinned down to her, his helmet underneath his arm. "Lavie-chan just stopped by, I have something for brother for her to take home. I'll just be a second, okay?"

Kirere said nothing, but watched him move across the room, past the sprawled out group of boys, and picked up a collapsible crate.

"Not sure what he wants with this, but I didn't need it! I'm just going to drop her off and I'll be back!"

Haruki left, and Kirere heard the motorcycle rev up again, and she watched him ride off with Lavie on the back of the motorcycle.

"…Eh? What's wrong with you, now?" Ronene noticed her shaking a bit at this.

The young girl had finally figured out that this might be changing one day, too. She felt like she'd been hit by lightning.

Ronene sighed, and bowed his head. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, and Kirere jerked back instinctively.

"W-What?!—"

"Sorry, I… I guess I—"

Kirere gave a grunt and pushed him back, and hopped off of the table.  
"Shrimpy?! Where are you going?!"

She didn't answer, but she only pushed open the door and stormed out.

"Eh? What'd you do now, Ronene?" Yobibi lifted his head and yawned, and Ronene shook his head.

"I-I dunno!"

"She WHAT?" Giroro slammed his hands down on the coffee table, and Haruki flinched, as did the three boys and Tamama.

"W-We're all sorry, so sorry!" Lavie stepped forward and bowed several times.

"It's times like this I think you should have listened to me when I suggested a chip to follow her, kuku!" Kururu giggled, glancing to Giroro, his glasses flashing. He and Giroro were in the living room of the Hinata house, as were Fuyuki, Angol Mois, and Natsumi, who were dressed in their pajamas. Keroro was dragged out of the bedroom by Dororo, and didn't fully rouse from his sleep until a punch to the top of the head by Giroro.

"I knew this was going too well... Things are never quiet this long," Natsumi yawned.

"She's been fine every other time, Giroro Goucho!" Tamama suggested putting on his most adorable look. This faded with the Corporal's glare. Giroro didn't want cute and lovely ,right then. He wanted his daughter, and he wanted justice. Even if this meant getting Tamama's blood in the process.

"Couldn't you track her, Kururu?" Giroro glanced over to the scientist, who gave another small laugh.

"Seems as though she's outsmarted it, finally. She left it," Kururu, at this, lifted up a plush cat, with a metal necklace around it. A suspicious-looking metal necklace.

"…Damn it…" he growled and turned away. "Looks at though we'll be doing searching on foot. Keroro, you and the Pekoponians see what you can do. Dororo, you go with the ninja—"

"Who's in charge here, exactly?" Keroro sighed. Another death-glare from Giroro, and a shudder from Keroro. "T-That's right. Giroro Goucho, it's in your hands, this time."

"I'll go look in the usual spots, Giroro Goucho!" Tamama exclaimed.

"No. You babysit them," Giroro snapped, and Tamama flinched. "You've done enough for this…. You were supposed to watch her!"

"…This is all my fault…" Ronene sighed as the groups dispersed. He looked over to Tamama, who looked completely defeated. "…It's all my fault…"

"Great… Running away again…" Kirere groaned and laid her head against the cool concrete of the bridge. "…I always run… But why'd he have to go and be so stupid? Why can't it be the same?... Why's it have to change, everything's fine just how it is, now…"

"Kirere-chan! What are you doing out here?" the warm, familiar voice of Saburo. She knew it from anywhere. She gasped and stood up, happy to see the familiar face. Saburo never changed, he was always the same, always friendly to her. "This isn't safe at all!"

"Saburo-san! How'd you find me?"

"Kururu-san told me, and I just sort of knew. Maybe it's our bond, huh?"  
Kirere's smile quietly fell, and the warm air turned cold. The chirping of the cicadas seemed to vanish. Kururu…san?

"What's wrong, Kirere-chan?" he looked down to her the first time, and his eyes flashed. Those weren't Saburo's eyes, not even close.

"You're not Saburo-san…" she whispered, taking another step back.

"…You know, you really were a lot brighter a kid than they took you for," he laughed. The ease of the voice was now chilling to her.

She took off running, only to run into Saburo's legs. He'd moved from one spot to another, without as much as her blinking. She gave a scream and turned, and he was there again.

"Now it's time to start… Finally," he whispered with relief, and bent down to lift her up. He was stopped as a rock sailed across the dark sky and hit him. The angered "Saburo" looked up with a glare.

"You leave her alone!"


	76. Kirere: He's Getting Married! Pt2

Episode 37  
Kirere: He's Getting Married?!  
Part 2

"What are you doing here?!" the false Saburo snarled.

"Like I always said, I'll always follow you, no matter where you go or what you try to do to them," he answered, and Kirere watched, with great surprise, as Hachichi appeared from the shadows, white lab coat et al. He stood beside Kirere, and gave her a brief, relieved look. He then looked to Saburo, again, whose eyes glowed, now, in the darkness. "You need to leave them alone! This isn't the way to do this!"

"What would you suggest, then?!" he snapped. "They ruin me!"

"You ruin yourself!" Hachichi answered in a growl. He lunged forward, and attempted to land a blow on the fake Saburo. "Saburo" only held out his arm, and Hachichi fell into this. He gripped onto Hachichi's face, and threw him back. Hachichi landed hard against the concrete of the bridge, making a large, spider-web crack in it. He laid crumpled on the ground, underneath the bridge, and Kirere watched this, in a panic. She took a step back, nearly falling into the dark water that snaked beneath the bridge.

"I almost feel bad for you," "Saburo" said, examining her with half-lidded eyes. His facial features had changed so very much, now. He barely looked like the same person, he looked like a horrifying nightmare version of Saburo. They'd become shadowed and sharp, and his yellow eyes shone brightly. He lifted her up by the neck, and smiled. He was tightening his grip.

He and Kirere were both blown back by a sudden, bright blast. The bridge was no more, just a pile of rubble. Kirere climbed out from the tiny pile of rubble she'd been buried under, and coughed as she stumbled about. Hachichi looked across at her, wheezing, from the other side of the concrete former-bridge.

He started to say something, but fell to his knees. Kirere yelped and wasted no time swimming across to him.

"A-Are you okay?"

"Sure! I'm a doctor, remember?" he laughed with a cough of confidence. This didn't make Kirere feel any more confident, though. This made her even more worried.

"Did you just do a Tamama Impact?" she asked in awe, looking out at the concrete.

"Something like that. We need to go," he shakily attempted to stand again, but only slid down onto the ground. "…I think I might have genuinely broken something…"

"H-Here!" she bent down and placed an arm around her shoulders. "You'll be okay! We'll get you to Haruki, he's a doctor too! You'll be fine! I… I'm sorry! I shouldn't have run off again, it was stupid!"

"Trust me. It's not a matter of running. He always finds his man," Hachichi answered, wincing as they walked. "That's… Why I have to protect all of you… I have to find him… Before he finds you."

"Protect us?" she replied, "…What from?"

They had gotten up the grassy hill, only to come face-to-face with the one who had been Saburo, but now stood before them as a tall, pale, white-haired man.

"I think that'd be me," he answered calmly. "Lovely parlor trick, doctor."

"You… Bastard…" Hachichi coughed, not even finding the energy to raise his head to look up at him.

"Why do you waste your energies? Is it because you rely on their existing?" he knelt down in front of the two. He grinned, and pushed Hachichi back. Much to Kirere's horror, the Keronian tumbled back down the same steep decline, right into the water. "…And now suddenly existing isn't an issue for you. Now where were we?"

Kirere regained her stance and frowned. She balled her fists and shook. Punch him? No, that wouldn't work. She was smaller than him. She looked upward, to the stars, and the night sky.

It clicked with her. She wasn't sure what clicked, but she didn't feel like herself. It was like when Tororo had referred to her as "stupid". It was that same dazed, out-of-body feeling. She dug her feet firmer into the ground, and allowed him to bend down to pick her up again. She then gave a scream. As loud as she could.

This was as loud as Giroro could hear, as well. He had taken to the skies, giving the vague hope that she was somewhere down there. He had been right in doing this, and brought the one flap of his hat closer to him, to access the small transmission system in it.

"Kururu! I think I found her!"

He then dipped down quickly to the sound of another scream. He flew down as quickly as he could, and hoped that he could go even faster, and, if not, that she could hold out just long enough.

"You hear that?" Yobibi perked up, and Tamama, Tehaha, and Ronene all looked to him. Having been regulated to the Hinatas' couch, Tehaha had nearly fallen asleep. Another yell, and Yobibi stood up on the couch. "I… I think that's Kirere."

"What? You sure?"

"Yeah! It's got to be!"

"You're hearing things…" Ronene snorted.

Yobibi gave him a severe look at this, "Listen, I grew up with music all of my life. I know sounds when I hear them! Now do you want to make this right, or not?"  
Ronene flinched, blushed, and nodded. "L-Let's go, then…"

"Wait! You can't just leave, too!" Tamama yelped.

"Watch us," Ronene snapped.

"N-Not unless I lead!" Tamama replied, hopping off of the couch and coming face-to-face with Ronene. The two shared a tense moment, and then Ronene broke away from him.

"Let's do whatever, let's just get there!" Yobibi hurried them.

"…Fighting with Tamama Nitohei. This is so cool, this is so cool!" Tehaha muttered with a shake of the head.

The false Saburo… The real whoever he was… Looked up from his hand, where he was gripping Kirere yet again, and towards the cloud of dirt in the distance behind the struggling girl. A meteor, maybe? As it cleared away, it revealed to be something quite different. Giroro Goucho, guns in either arm, by far the largest he owned, and fierce enough to match his deadly-serious expression. The wings of his Angel Pack flickered, and then vanished. All that was left was the angry red Keronian and the small crater he had made.

"You have someone of mine," he said in a low, stern voice, appearing in front of the faux Sauro and taking another step forward.

"What I'm doing is a favor," he snapped in return. "You don't know who this is!"

"All I know is there's a bastard holding my daughter who's going to be minus an arm or two in the coming moments," Giroro snapped, lifting up a gun and aiming.

He let go of his grip, allowing Kirere to fall to the ground, "You all want to protect her… Have you ever given thought that everyone might need protection from her?"

"Kirere!" Giroro barked, and the little girl scrambled up to the side of her father. He looked to the man again, and aimed his gun. Taking fire, the man vanished briefly, only to appear to the right of where the blast had fired. Giroro was taken aback by this, and fired a few other times, each time shooting, and the man vanishing, appearing in a different portion of the grassy field.

The gun clicked, but nothing. The battery had exhausted itself. Giroro switched to the other gun, but it was the same as it had been before, with him shooting blindly and the man vanishing and reappearing just as quickly, inches away from the blows.

"The unfortunate thing about you, Giroro Goucho…." the man vanished and reappeared behind them, "…Is that once your ammo is out, you're out of the game."

"…That'd be where you're wrong," Giroro revealed a bowie knife, concealed until now. He darted for the invader, and attempted an attack with the knife. This only ended up with the knife lodged in the dirt, where Giroro couldn't pry it out.

"You'll thank me," he whispered to Giroro, flashing for a moment to bend down and whisper in the corporal's ear. He began, in a series of flashing in and out, to step back from Giroro.

He did not get that far, however, before there was a sucker punch the back of the head. It was more of a sucker kick. Tamama flew back onto his place on the ground and waved to the stunned intruder, begging him to try something. The opposing creature growled, and attempted to go after Tamama, but was soon pelted with a small rock. He looked to his right, and there was Ronene. Another rock, and he looked to his left, and there was Tehaha. And yet another, from behind, and this was a frowning Yobibi.

He twitched a smile, and this broke out into a full-on laugh, "This is so pathetic it's almost quaint… You want another day to live blind? That's your business. You're going to regret that you did this. You all will. Have fun, for now. It's not going to last. I'll be back again."

He vanished, and all looked about, dazed.

"…Why'd his just leave like that….?" Ronene wondered to himself.

"….I… I promise that's the last time I run away. Bad things follow. Always," Kirere said in a hush. Her eyes then lit up, and she gasped, "H-Hachichi-san's still down there!"

"Wait! Kirere! Who's Hachichi?" Giroro asked, following her down the steep area to where the bridge had once been.

Hachichi's pearl-like blue eyes blinked, and he came to at the familiar "blip" noise he'd associated hospitals with. He wasn't unfamiliar to these noises, or the unique, sterile hospital smell. There was almost a comfort in it, to him, and he gave a small smile.

"E-Eh? Where?" he opened his eyes slowly, and looked down at the Pekoponian who was hovering above him, "Oh. Ojiisan. Okay, then." He shut his eyes again, and Haruki jerked his head back, puzzled.

"Ojiisan? Eh?" the tired mechanic repeated.

"…So how long am I grounded for, this time?" Kirere asked, not bothering to look up from her handiwork. Spread out on a newspaper on her bed was a hair dryer—Natsumi's. She had just about figured out what had made the heating element go, and was in the process of fixing this. She should have been in bed, but the excitement had proven too much for her. She was beyond sleepy, and now found another wind to do these small chores. She didn't even need to look up from her work to know it was Giroro in the doorway.

"You aren't," she stopped twisting her tiny screwdriver, and looked up to him, surprised. "That night was enough to put you through. It was enough for all of us. I want to know, instead, what this was all about."

She set down her screwdriver and the tiny metal piece, and looked up to Giroro, "I don't know who he was, the one person. He… He looked like Saburo, but…"

"Not him. Kururu's working on finding that out. I want to know why you did what you did in the first place. With the inviting people over, with running away, with acting so strangely. What's been going on with you recently? Is there someone bothering you? I taught you how to deal with trouble—An unyielding and unmerciful fist. Remember?"

"I remember," Kirere gave a sharp sigh, but knew she couldn't hide it, any longer. She reached into her glove, and Giroro's eyes went wide as she produced the ring she'd been concealing, "I-I was trying to fix your radio, and… I found this. I just… I didn't want you to marry Natsumi-san, yet! I… I like how our family is, the way it is! Can we just wait a little bit longer?"

Giroro had gone increasingly redder as she continued in her pleading. He slowly sat down on the bed, and cleared his throat. "That… That's not mine. I'm… I'm holding it for…. Mahihi."

"Mahihi-san?"

Giroro nodded, "It… It's a gift, for his wife. It's their anniversary, and you know how nosy Pekoponians can be. It was the only safe place to put it!"

Kirere's face showed a look that was nothing short of stunned. She handed off the ring to him, her mouth still agape, "So… You're not…."

"N-No! I mean… S-Someday!" his cool demeanor was gone, now, and he waved his hands wildly. "I-I wouldn't dream of it, right now! W-Well, dream, maybe, but… I… I wouldn't! Not at all!"

"…Afraid she'd reject you?"

"…E… Eh…"

Kirere suddenly felt a pang as she watched Giroro wince at the thought of rejection, and she patted him on the hand, "Someday she won't, Dad. I… I know it! And… I promise I'll be better about it, really! I just… I have so much fun here, now. I don't want to leave. Ever. But… I guess things change?"

Giroro nodded, "They… Aren't always expected, but… Some surprises are good."

"Like some of Ojiisan's plans!"

"N-No! Those aren't good surprises, ever! Those are all the opposite of good surprises!"

"So… I guess it… Might be a good surprise to see you happy, with Natsumi-san," Kirere said after some thought. "Maybe even Papa some day, too?"

The two let the thought of a married Kururu sink in, for a moment. The shiver was mutual.  
"Who would even…? No. I won't think about it that hard. It's not healthy," Giroro shook his head, and stood. "I'll put this away, now."

"All right. So… If I'm not grounded, maybe we can go to the zoo tomorrow?"

"You're not grounded, but you'll be helping me polish my weapons tomorrow," he replied, and she sank down, dejected. He bowed his head and slumped his shoulders, "And then… Get some of that spicy ice cream* you like from that one shop…"

This made her cheer up again, and she embraced him tightly around the neck. Giroro sighed, and after a moment resigned to the tight hug returned this, and walked out, and couldn't help but give a smile, himself.

"I'll have it be known that only keep myself on the dating market as a courtesy. It would be a crime to deprive everyone, kukuku!" he heard the familiar laugh as he exited down the halls to the medical bay. He looked over and there was eerie Kururu, standing on the same moving tram, coming from or headed to who really knew where.

"…What are you doing other than annoying me, Kururu?"

"I thought I'd like to let you know that our guest escaped."

Giroro stood straight and gave a start, "W-What?! From here?! How?!"

"Somehow he was familiar with the base and able to get out through one of the secret passages."

"Which one?"

"Tch, now that's not making it a secret, anymore, is it?" Kururu giggled. "He's gone, but I'm about to run a few samples on some DNA he left behind. That should give us a better idea of where he's from."

"….What about the other one that showed up? The Pekoponian-looking one?"

"….I don't know," Kururu admitted after a quiet between the two.

"….That scares me when you don't know something."

"Kuku! You really know how to compliment an egomaniac, Senpai," he chuckled. "…So you're going to return that ring, now?"

"W-What? Mahihi's in Hawaii—I'll give to him another time."

The moving stretch of walkway stopped, signaling Giroro's departure. There was a quiet moment, and Kururu looked to him, "…Now, Senpai, I know everything, remember?"

"Then figure out what that thing who was going after our daughter wanted!" Giroro snapped, as if commanding an order. That was because he was doing just this. That… Creature… Had frightened him. Not since the last time he had thought he had lost Natsumi had he felt this cold feeling… Fear. He was afraid.

Giroro stepped off the platform, headed to the medical bay, and looked to Kururu once more. Kururu chuckled and didn't give Giroro a second glance as it took off again, towards his unknown destination.

The three boys stood, their bags at their sides, at the train station platoon.

"This was… And then… And this was amazing!" Tehaha exclaimed, flailing his arms about. He continued to gush, and the other three children, including Kirere, allowed him to, until he found himself short of breath, and Yobibi pulled out an inhaler for it. While Tehaha took a few puffs of this, overcoming his excitement, Yobibi gave a sigh.

"This has been… Really eventful…"

"It was a train wreck," Ronene chimed in, and Yobibi nudged him in the stomach gently.

"I like Pekopon," he added to Kirere. "When… Stuff's not trying to kill you. Make sure and visit Keron, some time again? It's a little bit safer. Come on, guys, train's getting ready to go!"

He pushed Tehaha along with him, and then called out to Ronene as the train sounded its whistle on the otherwise empty platform.

"I'll be there in a second!" he called out to him. "Just save a spot!"

He waited for the two to board, and then turned his attention to Kirere, "Listen… I'm sorry for before. I was a jerk for that."

"Huh? Oh, about…"

"Yeah. Listen. It's not like I don't like you… But I just have to figure out how…"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah…" he nodded. "And… It's as more of a friend… That's okay, right?"

"Sure!" she giggled, and her smile fell as she noticed his expression. "You figured out what you wanted to know, though. Right?"

"…Yeah. Let's say I did. See you around, Shrimpy! Send me your measurements! I need someone to send this stuff to!" he called out as he boarded the train. He looked out the window to her once more, waved, and then took his seat at the edge, with Tehaha in the middle, and Yobibi at the window.

Yobibi leaned forward, and looked to Ronene questioningly. Ronene only turned his head away, and leaned back to give the impression of sleeping, signaling this wasn't to be brought up. And, as the train took off, back to Keron, he smiled a bit, and closed his eyes. A friend was a good thing to have.

"You get that all squared away, kiddo?" Haruki stood from his leaning position against the brick pole of the train station, and she nodded, and gave a thumbs up.

"Yup! And they invited me back to Keron!"

"Great! We'll have to start working harder, then, so I won't fall so behind when you leave for a week to visit!" Haruki replied, walking towards his motorcycle. He pulled out a helmet from the storage unit on the back, and then a much smaller, matching one for her, and she climbed onto the back of the bike.

"Hey, Haruki? You're a grownup, right?"

"….Some would argue, but…. I guess so," he answered as he knocked at the kickstand.  
"How do you deal when stuff changes on you?"

"Changes? Just… Know that they're coming? Not every change is a good one, but not every one's a bad one. You could have the best day of your life, in the future!"

"…Do you think I will?"

"Ah, yeah, kiddo. If all of us have anything to say about it!"

He drove her home, that evening, and Kirere immediately rushed down after her good-bye to Haruki to her room, to finish Natsumi's blow dryer. Haruki waited to make sure the coast was clear, and then headed to behind the house, to the tent.

"…I can't exactly knock on this…." he sighed and knelt down, and yelped as Giroro, sensing the mechanic, pulled up the door to the tent. "T-That's really creepy! Don't do that!"

"…I'm guessing I know what you're here for…" Giroro sighed, disappeared, and returned a moment later, his cat at his side now and a box in his hand. "This caused me more trouble than I thought it would…"

"I appreciate you doing it, though," Haruki nodded, taking the ring box and bowing a bit in gratitude. He opened the ring, examined it, and then shut the box again. Giroro gave a grunt and turned away, glancing as Haruki called out to.

"Hey! Just… So you know… If I don't have kids… Or Lavie-chan says no, when I ask her… Although I hope she doesn't… It's Kirere-chan's, okay?" Haruki said to him, with an unusual amount of seriousness in his voice.

Giroro blinked a few times, letting this sink in, and Haruki excused himself with an embarrassed chuckle, and backed away from the tent, dropping the flap of the tent.  
Giroro sighed and allowed himself to sit on the floor of his tent, cross-legged, and his looked to his cat, "….Pekoponians aren't as totally hopeless as they seem, some times… But you didn't hear that from me, all right?"

The cat meowed, letting Giroro know his secret was safe.

"So is she okay?" popped into the chat box Kururu had up in the corner of one of his many screens. He took a break from his analyzing to type back.

"For now."

An icon of a pen writing, a pause, an erase, and then more of the pen icon, "Did it bug you he looked like Saburo-san?"

"Could have looked like anybody."

"But it looked like your friend."

"…."

"…So did you want to call off Saturday, then?"

"No, it's all right," Kururu thought after a moment contemplating, and typed it in.

"Okay! See you then!" said the person on the other end.

He slumped back, and returned to analyzing. There was a result, now, of the Keronian DNA.  
Kururu read through the results once. And then again. And then ran another result. Then read this results. Then treated himself to curry as another test ran, only to set aside his plate as the results showed the same.

"…..Kuku! Well… This does appear to be a mystery," was all he could say to himself. "Where one opens… There's a bigger one ahead… This is going to be interesting."


	77. Kodada: Kodada and the Visitor! Pt1

Job hunting. That means update for YOU! Either way, this is a long time coming, I think, this chapter. Glad to finally be making it. : )

Episode 38  
Kodada: Kodada and the Visitor!  
Part 1

"And then they lived happily ever after," Kodada finished quietly, and looked down to the sleeping child at her side. He had long since passed out, and she smiled, and attempted to slide out of bed. Much to her surprise, however, he continued to grasp onto her, around the waist. After a little fidgeting, she managed to get out of his grasp, and crept out of his room, closing his door behind him. He gave a grumble, she rolled her eyes and smiled, and then left it open a crack for him.

She then quietly shuffled down the hall, and down the stairs, although this wasn't nearly as quiet, and a brunette man looked up from his laptop to her and removed his reading glasses. She embraced him for a brief moment, and then looked over his shoulder.

"What's this all about?" she asked, moving the mouse without as much as a bit of permission, and scrolling through the article.

"Alien sightings," he admitted with a laugh, a bit embarrassed about being caught reading such a thing.

Her mother looked up from her spot making lunches for the morning and sighed. Aside from her apron, she looked out of place in the kitchen, in a business jacket and pencil skirt, both black. Her auburn hair was tied up, and her blue eyes went back to concentrating on cutting, "Werner, that's no good to look at, and you know it."

"You've never seen them, Anna," he answered, and her mother cringed, knowing this story all too well. "A—"

"Yes, a strange light, raining down from the sky while you were flying," she nodded. "Kody, would you get the bags out and write names on them?"

"Can I do it after? I want to see who you make the best lunch for, first!" she answered.

Her mother motioned for her to move, and she nodded, taking out some brown bags from a drawer, as well as a pen, and then beginning to write. Anna, Werner, Kody, and Paul.

"Can I make one for Klaus?" Kody asked intently.

"He dates you. Now you want me to feed him. You're lucky I allow that boy to live," Werner muttered, still looking at the article. "This was the same pattern and everything!"

"Yes we can make one," Anna replied. "He puts up with your father's teasing, so Klaus gets the best lunch."

"Kody" nodded, and wrote a name for a fifth bag.

"Did you do up your homework?"

The redheaded girl thought for a moment, and then snapped her fingers. "I forgot history!"

"All right, well, I'll make this, you finish that," Anna waved her off. "Too many people in the kitchen make me nervous anyhow, you know that."

"Right!" she exclaimed, and headed back up the stairs. She gave one last look to her adopted parents, as she did most nights. They joked amongst themselves, even when she had left. It was nice, and calm. There was no tension, no dinnerplates ever smashed against a wall in a fit of rage. Just this.

And her room, modest as it was, and nowhere near the grandeur of the first one she had had, was all hers. There were model planes along the ceiling, and posters on the walls, including a few of Chu, the Korean pop artist that her parents failed to see the appeal of.

"She looks a little like you, even thought you're not Korean!" her mother had exclaimed once. Kodada gave a small smirk, remembering this.

History homework wasn't that hard… Not this era, at least. She'd been alive for most of it, able to see it going on. It was old hat, to her, and she finished it within a few minutes…. Her adopted parents hadn't even been alive for it, but she has been. To them, they only knew her as the homeless young teenager who had been discovered living in the airport her father worked at. He'd seen her, night after night, looking out the large glass windows over the airport, watching the planes go by.

She didn't have identification, they'd supplied her with it. She was their daughter, for all intensive purposes. And they didn't question it. Her new father had been an orphan, so perhaps this is why he'd taken pity on her. They'd given her her own room, her own small space, and allowed her to start school.

"…I went all over the world for this…." she muttered. She felt a small wave of selfishness creep up on her, as it sometimes did. They'd barred her from working, to focus on school, but she'd done it all once before.

She attempted to justify her living with them. She'd had nothing like this, in her previous life. But, laying back and looking out at the stars, brightly lining the navy-colored sky, she felt a wave of selfishness wash over her again.

School was more complicated the second time around, but it'd been a great spot for picking up current Pekoponian culture. She wasn't really bothered with, either way. She had a few friends, but no one particularly close. Not like Klaus.

She met him that morning, as she always did, and walked alongside him. She'd often done this with Romama at her side, previously.

The tall blonde was nothing like Romama had been. Klaus was clumsy, quick to emotion, quick to laugh…

"Mama made you this!" Kody held out the bag to him cheerfully at the corner of the sidewalk where they met.

"…Don't tell me she put the hearts on it…" he muttered, looking over his name and the artwork on it. She only laughed at this and took his arm in hers, and they began to walk, praying to get there before the gray clouds decided on becoming rainclouds.

"Did you finish the homework last night?" she asked. He'd wasted no time diving into the lunch, and talked through a mouthful of sliced turkey and bread. A meat-eater, this had been new to her.

"It wasn't too bad," he was more focused on books that physical exercise. Another difference. But she'd loved them just the same. "The math was a little hard…"

"It always is, though," she giggled, and held his hand on the way to school. It wasn't until they reached the stone steps of the old building she looked in her backpack and her eyes widened with horror. All of her books had been replaced, and, in their place, coloring books, crayons, and a floppy stuffed frog. She pulled out the frog and stared at it a moment, unbelieving.

"Paul… He… He took everything out again!" she exclaimed, and Klaus looked in, taking the toy and smiling at it.

"How about you go back, then, and get everything, and I'll take notes for the both of us?" Klaus placed a free hand gently on her arm, and she nodded. "It's just German class, anyway, and you have the highest grade."

Because she'd had thirty years to learn the language, she thought to herself.  
"… I could always call someone, but… I think they're all at work and school now…"

"I'll be fine," he answered, and kissed the shorter girl n the forehead. "I'll take good notes for us both."

"All right, thank you, Klaus," she began to descend the stairs.

"Oh! Kody?"

She turned to him.

"Can we talk later? I-It's nothing bad, I promise!" he finished, a nervous smile crossing his lips. "We just really need to talk."

"Did… You want to now?"

A bell ringing, and he sighed, almost relieved, "No time, time to go!"

"Well, okay, then. I'll see you!" she called as she rushed away from him and the school.

"…Bye," his voice dropped, and he headed into the classroom.

The rain had started by the time she ran back, and she found herself alone in the house. Paul had gone to school, driven by their mother, and her father had gone to the airport.

The first thing she noticed was the kitchen cabinets—Several were open, and the contents down on the ground. This included boxes of cereal, spilled out all over the linoleum. She crunched through as she walked through the room, and she looked about, suddenly much more on guard.

She tossed aside her backpack and looked about, giving a gulp of anxiousness. She began to reach for the knife drawer, and then heard another noise, from upstairs. She rushed up and looked about, her eyes wide, and she cold now place the noise as coming from her room.

"I'm stupid, I'm so stupid," she whispered, and kicked in the door, unthinking.

The Keronian looked up at her with an equal amount of shock, and they remained there a moment, their eyes meeting. He then pulled down the mask and picked up the long pole with the blade at the end of it, and jumped to attack.

At that moment, she thought back to what Romama had taught her about self-defense.

"Just stance," he had told her all those years ago, "And find a weak point."

With a small Keronian, it wasn't hard finding a spot. She waited until the right moment, when he lunged, and threw out an open palm. Her opened hand met with the beak of his ancient-looking mask, and pushed up. He flew back, and then clutched this area in pain. She thought kick, picked up the blade, and then took off running.

He attempted to chase after her, but got tripped up in the kilt he wore about his waist, and fell down the stairs. His mask went flying, and she watched him as he lay still at the bottom of the flight of stairs.

She picked up the mask, and then looked down at him. He was purple, maybe a little older than her, but had the full, adult face of a Keronian man.

She poked at him with her foot, and yelped as he groaned.

"What… How did….?" She couldn't find the words to finish her sentence, even. She was too stunned.

He woke up in a bathtub. It was empty, no water. His head was still spinning from the blow, and his entire face ached. He rubbed it and sat up, and looked down at his hand. It was sore, but not broken. The Pekoponian woman couldn't say the same for herself. She sat on the ground next to the tub, clutching her bandaged hand. She gave a start as he sat up, and he rubbed his head.

"…You spared my life," he muttered.

"I know," she replied quietly, glancing down at her hand and re-feeling the pain.

"…You're not surprised to see me," was his next response, and his face contorted. "So you do have one here…"

He attempted to sit up, but couldn't get a grip, and only fell back down, his body weak and sore.

"…One what?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" he snapped, his labor forced. "The Keronians! You have one!"

"You look really thin…When's the last time you've eaten?"

"Don't play with me!" he growled again.

"I'll get you something to eat," s he sighed and stood.

He attempted to stand up, but, in frustration, only fell back again.

She brought back a sandwich, but he only kicked it out of the way and remained then, in pain, and growing increasingly more frustrated.

"We're trained to go days without eating or drinking, so don't pity me," he snapped, although his body said differently, and Kodada could tell he was weak.

"And days doesn't mean forever, now eat it!" she replied.

He only remained there, motionless and stubborn. It was only when she left she heard the plate clattering.

She stood in her room, cell phone in hand, and thought of who to call. He had tattoos, so maybe Rokiki? But she rarely spoke to Rokiki… Nee-chan was off with her family….  
But maybe was worth a shot?

The phone rang and rang. It was late at night, still, but there wasn't anyone to pick up, only the answering machine, "Hello, you've reached our personal phone number! Good for you! Now, if you got this through a website, leave your number so we can send Lee after you. Lee, Jin-Ae, why don't you say something catchy, too?"

There were muffled "noes" from both in the background, and a small goading argument ensued until the beep. Kodada hung up and sighed.

There was a wave of panic as she heard a knock on the door, and she rushed down to see who it was—Much to her relief, it was just a deliveryman. She took the packages in, left them beside the door, and hurried back up to check on her guest.

He looked to the empty plate, and to her, and then to the ground. She lifted him out of the tub and sighed. "…We can't have you staying here… You can stay in my room…"

"Either tell me what you know or put me outside, I don't want your pity," he snarled, squirming in her arms. She laid him on the floor and sat across from him, her legs folded beneath her.

"..What's your name?"

"…Horokohoro. Of the Sankaku Tribe. What did you do with my mask?"

"It's somewhere safe. The Keronian… They were here."

His interest was immediate, and he shot his head up.

"…But they aren't here, anymore."

"What?! How long?!"

She thought to herself. How long had it been?

"Two… Three years," she replied. Had it really been that long?

His shoulders fell, and his mouth was open a bit.

"…So this travel was for nothing…" he muttered, and looked about. Indeed, there weren't any signs of a Keronian living there…

"What'd you want them for, anyway?"

"You wouldn't understand it," he snapped, standing uneasily. He clenched his head, feeling an immediate headache coming on. "Your brain can't. It's not your fault."

"…You really are arrogant, aren't you?"

"…From the one… So much," he muttered to himself, with a shake of the head.  
She stood and sighed, and opened her wardrobe doors. "…It's empty on the bottom; you can hide in here when my family comes home…."

"…Why are you treating me like this?"

"Because you're hurt! That's just what you do," she answered with a shrug. This response seemed to stun him, and he remained there a moment, contemplating his injuries.

"…You're not supposed to be this kind. Humans aren't kind. That's just how you all are. It's not your fault, either. But that makes me think you want something from me."

"We're not all bad."

"Yes. Yes you are," she snapped. "Did the Keronian who lived with you ever see what humans did?"

"Yes. She lived through terrible things," she said in a snap, her voice raised, now.

"There's the Pekoponian anger!" he laughed.

"But that made the good all the better!" she snapped. "I—She didn't focus on the bad! She learned to move on, and how to treat people better! She didn't let it own her! Because someone has to! Saying that because a lot of bad happens, that there's no good at all, is foolish!"

He remained there, quiet and put in his place. She now worked to finish clearing out the boxes and making him a spot in the bottom, a little more forcefully than before.

"…Our former leader's son became corrupted by the humans," she stopped her cleaning at the mention of Rokiki. "Our leader always spoke about her son. The great warrior. We had always thought he hadn't survived, when we were attacked. But then some other aliens came, before our great migration, and told us of a Keronian who looked like us. About the great warrior Rokiki. I thrived on those stories as a child. I worked and worked to be as good as he was. Then… He shows up. My dreams and prayers were answered. But he showed up a corrupted drunk, overcome by the human world."

Kodada listened to this, quietly. She watched as he sat there now, shaking a bit from the cool air in the room.

"…He got better, but it wasn't the same. He spoke like them. He spoke of a Maronian woman he loved, and her human child. He'd totally left our principles. And his mother… She didn't mind this. She was blinded by the return of her son. He left, and I followed. He was a failure. The last thing that was needed was him going off and dragging our values through the mud. I attempted to stop the Maronian woman he went back for. She was the reason for all of this. I had to stop him from degrading us further. He was… Too strong, though. He had a group of people to help him. So before I regroup, I had to do this, I had to get his group, one-by-one. And… I was told there was a Keronian in this area. One Rohokohiki knew. One from his platoon. If I'm seeking my vengeance on his disappointing the Sankaku, I'll reach further out, this time."  
Kodada's blood froze; she'd been so careful, how could someone know? Hearing all of this, though…. She was grateful, however, that he didn't know the Keronian was staring at him, a stunned expression on her face.

"…Do you have any water?" he finished off meekly. So much for being able to go for days without drinking or eating.

"I'll get you some," she replied quietly, her mind still spinning. A Sankaku. Out to get Rokiki, and, not only him… But all of them.

"You're sure it's all right? I feel bad for not showing," Kodada muttered into the phone. She was curled up in her bed, while Horokohoro was on the floor across the room, flipping through the channels of the television. He'd yet to be impressed by anything on the television. He finally stopped at a boxing match, but grumbled as he realized that this wasn't anything that involved it being to the death. He continued flipping through as she sat on the bed, talking to Klaus.

"It's okay!" he answered cheerfully. "Can we still get together tonight?"

"I…. Actually have company over… For a sleepover. My friend Ho… Ly. Holly. My friend Holly is over."

"…I see," his voice fell a bit. Horokohoro had stopped on a cartoon program. His eye twitched a bit as he watched the loud, colorful witchcraft, and he switched the TV off. He then instinctively rolled into a pile of plush animals in the corner as the doorknob turned, and Kodada sat up on the bed with a start.

"Kody? Were you going to get dinner?" her father asked gently.

She covered the receiver and gave a nervous smile, "I-I'll eat later, I'm not feeling well."

"Oh? Well, all right then, we'll have some downstairs. Although… It's your mother's meatloaf."

Both cringed at this.

"Right," her father added. "I will leave thirty marks by the front door for you to get dinner later. Please pick me up something if you go, for later tonight."

Both waited breathlessly for him to leave, and it wasn't soon after Kodada hung up with Klaus, and went out for a bit, bringing back dinner for her and Horokohoro.  
He picked at the burger, at first, not knowing what to make of it, and then quickly dove into it, eating it like it was the first decent meal he'd had in forever. It probably had been, she realized.

She wasn't crazy that he had chosen the windowsill to sleep, but he seemed intent on it.

"All right, we'll figure out what to do with you in the morning…." she yawned and laid back.

"How do you know I won't kill you while you're sleeping?" Horokohoro muttered, looking out at the darkened sky.

"Because I like to think the best of people," she yawned and shut her eyes.

"…Why?"

"Someone has to," she replied quietly.

"…I've never been to Keron," he admitted quietly, looking up to the stars. "…I can't even look up and tell you where it is…."

"….Right ascension forty-two… Declination of plus forty-one…. Redshift of negative three-hundred… And one…." she yawned. Horokohoro sat up, looked down at her, and then laid back down and shook his head.

She woke up early in the morning, earlier than she usually did. And above her was Horokohoro, weapon in hand. His breathing was heavy, and his teeth were grit together. His weapon was pointing to her.

And she glanced sideways, to the small mirror hanging in her room, she could see why. It was her, in her Keronian form. She looked back up to him, and she knew she'd just wandered into a great deal of trouble.


	78. Kodada: Kodada and the Visitor! Pt2

Wow, so, TWO continuity errors, on my part. First one; Kodada's mentioned having an older brother, before. Let's just assume he's away at University. His name is Hans; he's off studying abroad in Portugal. Kodada got his old room. He exists now, just not very much.

Second, the spelling of her name—Kody or Codi? We're going to say that if this was an anime, that'd be a translate debate, like "Kululu" vs. "Kururu". Official spelling's going to be Kody. Kody Huber.

Happens when you write these things for years on end, everyone—My apologies, but now that that's cleared up, I feel like I can continue with a clear mind/conscience! (and to think this is mainly an exercise for my editing/writing skills ).

OH! Fun fact? Kody's family that's here? Actually based on a SUPER nice German family I met on a plane ride to meet other KPHQ members! Wherever you may be, thank you kindly for being so nice to the acrophobic American seated beside you!

Anyway, on to the chapter!

Episode 38  
Kodada: Kodada and the Visitor!  
Part 2

"You LIED," he snarled, keeping his blade pointed on her.

She was about to speak. About to explain everything, or at least try to. And then, the doorbell.

"Don't…" Horokohoro said sternly. "Don't you even THINK about it."

More ringing, and now knocking on the door, as well.

"Kody?! Kody, are you there?" Klaus's voice. Horokohoro glanced out of the corner of his eyes to the window and the front yard through it, and saw another bothersome Pekoponian at the front door. Tall, blonde, weak-looking. He wouldn't be much of a threat at all.

Horokohoro didn't move the blade from her. She gave him a severe look, and gulped, "…My parents are at my brother's football game. There's no one else here. I need to answer that. He won't go away. He knows I stay home on Saturday mornings. He'll think something's wrong, and he won't leave."

"…You're going to make him leave," Horokohoro instructed her. She nodded, and went to touch the crest on her neck. Horokohoro shook his head sharply. "No. No upper hands."

She sighed and hopped off the bed, down the stairs, and to the front door. She'd forgotten how tall everything was in this form… Horokohoro followed behind her, blade in hand at her back.

"Klaus?" she called at the other side of the door. "I-I'm sorry, I'm feeling a bit ill! Could you come back later?"

"Kody? Is everything okay? Your voice sounds so small! What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. "C-Can I just come in for a moment, please? I've had t his on my mind for days, I really need to talk with you! It's very important!"

"Please?" she whispered to Horokohoro. He shook his head "no".

"Kody?" he called out again.

She frowned to Horokohoro, and reached for her crest. The expression on her face was daring him, he realized. He removed the blade, taking a step back from her, and nodded to the door. She transformed into her human form, and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind Horokohoro.

There was a smile of absolute relief on Klaus's face and an exhalation of air.

"You don't look ill at all!" he exclaimed, and took hold of her hands. "You look great! The very same as always!"

"Thank you—What did you want to tell me?" she asked.

And his smile fell. He removed his hands and just as quickly put them in the pockets of his jeans, and kicked at the concrete porch.

"…I… W-Well, I…. I… I'm getting a new car!"

"Oh? Oh! That's…. Great?"

"Yeah. And… I… Got it in orange! Your favorite color!" he added excitedly, flailing his arms to express how grand it truly would be. "No more walking to school in the rain! Wonderful, right!?"

"That's… Really nice!" she nodded. "I'm… Going to lay back down, now. I should be feeling better soon, give me a call, then! We can maybe take a picnic!" she pointed to the front door in question, and he jumped a bit, looking at the door in question like it was a python. His focusing was clearly elsewhere.

"Right! I'll see you later!" he replied, his voice fake, loud, and cracking. He watched her slink back in backwards, and then shut the door.

He then slapped his forehead, "My God… I have to go buy an orange car, now…"

"…You didn't leave?" Horokohoro muttered in surprise as she entered again, and relaxed his stance with his weapon. "…You could have, you know."

"It's my home. Plus that would have been rude," she answered. He looked up to her, dumbfounded, and then sighed.

"…How are you this calm?"

"Tea helps," she said with a comforting smile, "Come on, I'll make us a cup!"

He sat there, staring at his cup, and she sat across from him in the bedroom, a matching cup in her hands. She had remained in her Pekoponian form, although she'd offered to return to her Keronian form for him. He seemingly knew which skin she felt better in, and allowed her this.

"…So you chose to live as one of them…" he repeated, sipping his tea again and glancing down in the cup. Not bad.

"Right."

"Because it's easier."

"No. Well, I traveled as one, but that was easier. I live as one because…. I like them. They're not perfect, but we weren't either. You're Sankaku, you know that… Maybe better than anyone else. I've… Been here for a while now, even if I don't look it. I had to grow up a lot in a eighty years. It's not a lot of time to, but I've had to. And… From that, as much as everyone likes to talk about how different Pekopon is from Keron… We're all the same. Pekoponians are just a little taller."

He huffed at this, and set the fine white teacup down.

Kodada examined the cup and smiled, "You know… This was a gift from my big sister. She likes tea sets a lot…."

"I'll sit here and act as though this means something to me."

"I looked up to her, when I was little… But some times it's not fair, when we look up to people too much and stop seeing them as people. It's okay to, but… It's not really fair when they mess up, and we forget to remember that they can mess up. They're allowed to, just as much as we are. It's okay to look up to people, but we shouldn't get mad when they prove their human… I mean, when they're… Well, when they can mess up… My sister's done things that I haven't always liked, but… I love her, still."

Horokohoro took the delicate cup on his hand and examined it. So thin and breakable; useless. Completely opposite of the rough clay cups he was used to. And yet she held it dear.

"All… All that I'm saying it, maybe you should give him another chance," she replied. "I… Saw too many people get hurt, chasing after people who did them wrong. And they end up hurting other people in the end of over it. The cycle has to end somewhere."

"And that's you," he snorted.

"Why not? And why can't you do it?" she asked gently.

Horokohoro only snorted at this.

And then the door opened. Kodada's father looked down at her, and then at the alien across from her.

Her mother had come home and sat at the sleek dining room table, her eyes wide, and her jaw clenched tightly as she studied the alien. Her brother had been rushed up to his room quickly, and had been allowed to order pizza. He was currently upstairs enjoying eating dinner in front of the television, mute to the problems of the world, or, at least, the household.

Her father was pacing back and forth, laughing excitedly, of all things. He looked to Horokohoro, a smile on this face. He rubbed his clasped hands over his bald head, and looked down at Horokohoro once more, "Where did you say you were from again?"

"Earth," Horokohoro replied curtly.

"Earth!" Werner laughed, and placed his hands over his mouth, not even concealing the large smile. "Ohhh… Not only are they here, they've been living here, all along!"

Kodada felt sick at this; she felt sick at her mother's annoyed expression. Is this the look she would have given her, had she shown up looking as she really was?

"Do you come in peace?" her father gasped in excitement, laying a hand on the back of the chair Horokohoro sat on and the other on the dining room table.

Horokohoro gave a stunned look, and shirked back a little, clearly beginning to feel intimidated by this attention.

Werner immediately began to shake his head, "Sorry, sorry. That must be offensive to you, yes? My apologies!"

"Why are you here?" asked Anna, cutting to the chase. She was not nearly as friendly as Kody's father was.

Horokohoro glanced to Kodada. And then, he sighed. His shoulders fell, and he adjusted his hat's veil, "…I got lost. Your daughter took me in. I was injured. I was attacked."

He added this last part with a bit of venom, and looked to Kodada; while he was sparing them from the truth, it was clear he had not forgotten her attack upon him.

"Do you need somewhere to stay?" asked Werner suddenly.

"Werner!" Anna snapped, and he jumped. They all did, and she cleared her throat. While she had appeared angry, at first, Kodada now understood this emotion. She was afraid.

And if Kodada hadn't been so afraid of her mother's fear, she would have explained to her why it was all right. Why the Keronians weren't bad.

But she was just too afraid.

"I don't want any trouble brought here," said Anna to Werner, "We had enough when… We have enough on our plate."

"I'm not a bother," Horokohoro replied. "I'm handy. We're taught many skills as a Sankaku. I can cook, work metal, grow crops in conditions your human body would find unbearable, and guard a household, as well."

"You'll stay, then!" Werner exclaimed happily.

"How are we going to explain him to Paul, then?!" she demanded, holding out an arm and pointing to the upstairs.

Werner lifted his arms and shrugged, "He wanted a puppy, we got him a spaceman. He'll love us," Werner replied.

"What if he says something to the people in school?" she huffed.

"He convinced everyone that there was a werewolf in our backyard last year," Kodada replied. "There's a new monster in the house every year, according to him."

"You can't forget the men in black visiting here last month," Werner added. "Anna, he always has a story to tell his classmates! This will be no different!"

Ana sighed, and shook her head, "…This is all madness…."

"I have things I need to accomplish before I leave here," Horokohoro said to her sternly. Was this his way of begging to stay, Kodada wondered?

"….You can have the closet underneath the stairs. If Werner wants you here, then he can finally get rid of the magazines he's been storing in there," Anna glanced sharply to her husband, and his smile faded a bit, but then he sighed and nodded; a clear sign he had relented.

"For tonight you can have the couch," Anna added, standing. "…I'm going to have a beer."

"I hope that you will find what you're looking for, here," Werner nodded, and Horokohoro returned this, and hopped off of the chair in the dining room; a stack of books had been piled up for him to sit eye-level with them. He took one of these and examined the title, and set it aside on the chair once more.

"I'm going to go pray…" he muttered, waving the humans off and heading for the living room.

The sounds of Paul's hurried rushing down the stairs was heard, interrupting Horokohoro's already beginnings of prayers.

Paul's eyes locked eyes with Horokohoro, after letting the presence of the alien sink in, he lit up, "...You're even better than the dog!"

Horokohoro looked to Werner, and pointed to Paul, "I find myself oddly liking this one."

Kodada yawned and looked up at the skies with a sigh; another rainy day. No sign of Klaus in class, that day, which had made her feel awful. Had it been her behavior lately?  
She tugged at her backpack and adjusted the straps on her arms; she'd made a stop by the store, after school, for things Horokohoro had needed. For prayer, he'd said. There were some things she'd never even heard of, but hopefully he wouldn't try to burn these are well, as he'd done with the bayleaf in the previous night. She'd never known exactly how awful this could make a house smell.

"…If nothing else, I'll have a nice-smelling backpack," she giggled to herself as she continued on.

She wasn't prepared for the sudden rush of feeling her feet leave the ground, and she was too shocked to fight off the bulky man in the black suit that had lifted her up. He tossed her in the open door of the car that had pulled up on the curb, shut it, and then hopped into the passenger's side.

The doors of the limo were dark, but she could still see through them. She looked up from the floor, dazed, and looked at the white high-heeled shoes beside her face. She sat up, dazed, and looked up at the Asian woman, who looked at this all with disbelief. She climbed over Kodada and opened the sliding window at the front of the compartment, and snapped at them.

"Really?! I say we're going to make it a point NOT to scare her, and this is what you do?! Really!?" she slid the window back in place forcefully, and she huffed, taking a seat on the plush leather. She held out a hand to Kodada and sighed. "Please forgive my companions, Kodada-san. I mentioned you were hard to be ahold of; they took this a little too literally. They're new to this planet, still."

"W-What did you call me?" she shakily sat back on the seat and removed her backpack, praying things hadn't become too crushed or damaged.

"Kodada. That's your name, right? Kodada, Private First Class of the Romama platoon," answered the woman. Her smile was a little aloof, but calm. She wore a red skirted suit, and had her hair done up in a bun, a flower on the side of it. "We're fans, to say the least."

"How… How do you know me?" there was no handles to exit the limo, as far as Kodada could see. And she was looking anxiously for them. For any escape. Maybe, in Keronian form, she could escape through the small window... But then, there were was the man in the black suit, and a companion, dressed just like him, driving the car. Paul had been right about men in black, after all, it seemed.

"We're good at knowing about people," she replied. "My name's Kyoko. I'm with an organization known as the Grant Initiative. We take care of alien affairs. We offer all sorts of help. You've been traveling for quite some time, it seems. We have incidents of your traveling through six continents. That's quite impressive! We thought we'd let you be when you found a family of your own; travelers like you seem to do this, after a while. They miss their homes, their families, so they decide to take up families here. How are you liking it?"

Kodada only shook and remained silent. There were too many emotions going through her mind. She hadn't wanted in on this… She just wanted to live quietly. How hard was that?

"We aren't here to take you to Keron," Kyoko shook her head. "Records indicate you went there recently, yourself. It's too different a world from where were. It'd be too difficult. You're a member of our planet, as far as we're concerned. My boss, and the woman who ran the organization before us, were intent on making certain that you didn't have to leave Pekopon. We do quite the opposite, finding ways for people to remain here. We offer all sorts of services to alien expats; information, outreach groups—There's group bingo in an area not too far from here…. I realize that this is difficult. But with Horokohoro-san living with you we wanted to make you aware, finally, that you're not alone, nor have you ever been. The Sankaku are a unique case, and historically transfer into mainstream society with a great deal of difficulty."

"…W-Where were you, all this time?" she demanded in a hushed whisper. With all that information... All she could think back to were all of the lonely years. All of the traveling on her own, all of the disappointment... All of the being alone. Her head was swirling; she could barely process the information. And the herbs, once so nice smelling, since crushed in her backpack, had begun to smell rank, making her stomach churn while she continued processing the mysterious Kyoko's information.

"…We were only implemented in the Initiative after the second World War. It took us some time to get our feet off the ground. It really wasn't until the nineteen-nineties, when we opened large areas for ships to enter airspace, that we really got any decent footing. We're starting to get governments to back us. It's been slow, but we've been getting somewhere with it, as of late. And you simply were too good at hiding, for the most part. You should take that as a compliment; we're good at finding people. And by the time we got in touch with you, we figured the last thing you wanted was to be brought into alien affairs."

How right she was. All of this time alone…. And this had been here… She dug her fingers into the leather of the chair and sniffed. When was the last time she'd cried? When she'd seen how well-settled her sister was? Was that it?

"We're sorry we didn't reach out to you sooner," Kyoko said, briefly loosing the cold, matter-of-fact voice and leaning over, she took Kodada's hand. Her hand was so warm… Kodada smiled at this, and wiped her eyes. "…You're young, it's a lot to take in, still. We're here to let you know, that if you find yourself needing help… For yourself, or Horokohoro-san… We're here. You don't have to be alone, anymore."

"Do you think you could have someone help me with math homework?" she chuckled a bit. This is something Klaus would do... Romama... Romama would have fought... But Klaus would have said something light-hearted and perhaps a bit inappropriate for the situation. She liked this alternative, more, she found.

Kyoko smiled, "Education was important to both of our previous leaders. We'll see what we can do. Now, neither of those idiots in the front seat hurt you, did they?"

"I think I'll be all right."

"Wonderful. Well, in the event of anything—A damaged shield, a civilian finding out about you, anything… Let us know. And again. I'm sorry."

"I won't hold it against you," Kodada wiped her eyes with her free hand, and laughed a little. "This is… I don't even know if you're for real… But… I haven't really lost my faith in trusting people yet, I guess, after all of this time."

"I'm glad. You're a rare breed," Kyoko smiled at this, and sat back as they pulled up to her house. She pulled out a blue card from her breast pocket, and passed it to Kodada, "If you need anything, anything at all. It's my personal number."

The lumbering man in the passenger seat stepped out onto the curb as the car stopped, and Kodada stepped out.

Kyoko rolled down the window, and peered out, to watch Kodada safely make it into her house.

And after Kodada walked in, Kyoko watched as the wooden blinks of a window on the second story opened, and Werner looked out at the limo. Kyoko gave a smile and a small wave, and he returned this with his own cheerful smile, and a nod. The blinds closed again, and Kyoko sighed and sat back in her seat.

"I want to go to one more place," she called out to the driver.

The house wasn't too far from Kodada's, and was painted a similar tan color. There was a bright red bike tossed on its side on the ground, and the yard was unkempt. Kyoko rolled her eyes and chuckled, and proceeded up the driveway, stepping over the bike, after being let out of the limo. There was a blue umbrella in her hand, shielding her from the small amount of rain that was beginning to drizzle.

She knocked on the door but twice, and it opened, and Klaus opened the door with a shout.

"Kody, I'm an alien!" he called out to the sky, and, unknowingly, to Kyoko, as well. His eyes were shut tightly, and he continued to blabber on, not giving Kyoko a single moment to correct him. He took a step back and pressed the metal watch on his wrist, and quickly transformed into a small alien, about the size of a Keronian. Small, yellow, a bit wasp-like, with large eyes, and in a gray suit, he was a Runenian*.

"…If you want to get experimented on that much by the government, I can drive you into town," Kyoko said plainly.

Klaus opened his eyes, and gave a small squeak of horror, "I-I-I… Y-You knew I was going to tell her! Am.. Am I in trouble with the law? Am I going back now? Please don't make me go back! Things are going so well here!"

"I think it's best to have you where we can keep track of you. If nothing, for your own heatlh, Klaus," Kyoko sighed, bent down, and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm just doing a welfare check, is all. You know we like doing these. You're getting ready to tell your girlfriend?"

"I… I was," he answered. "Is… That all right to do?"

"I think you'll be okay to," she answered, standing again. "How are you fairing on this planet?"

"I… I love it! I can see why so many people love it here!" he exclaimed cheerfully.  
Kyoko smirked; out of all of the aliens she had overseen, Klaus was perhaps one of her favorite ones. There was a bit of a young optimism to him... It almost reminded her of...

She gave a brief shake of the head, as if physically removing Haruki from her mind, and cleared her throat, "Is there anything you need?"

"I... Well... Yes..." Klaus chuckled and clasped his hands together shyly. "I'm... In a bit of trouble..."

Kyoko's eyes flashed, and he gasped as he registered this.

"N-Not like getting found out! I've been better than good about staying low! I... I sort of promised my girlfriend that I'd gotten a car, and..."

"...You know we're not genies, right?" Kyoko sighed, and Klaus's hopeful smile fell.

"I... I thought so," he chuckled, although his disappointment was obvious.

Kyoko took a few steps away, and then looked back to the little alien, and sighed, "...It will be a used model."

Klaus lit up with excitement, and Kyoko couldn't hide her own satisfaction at this. He continued to exclaim his thank-yous until she left, and at this point he laughed happily to himself-He had solved this problem, at least.

But catching sight of himself in the full-length mirror on his living room, he knew he was preparing for another problem. A much larger one. Or, at it was, in his case, shorter.

"...It's not so bad in here! Maybe it needs a little more decorating..." Kodada knelt down in the open closet area as Horokohoro hung up his mask on a hook he'd found while helping clean out the space for himself.

He looked up from his handiwork and grunted. "That's for another night..."

"How long do you think you'll be staying here?" she inquired, and Horokohoro stopped, wondering of this was a sign he was already unwanted. "Y-You're free to stay as long as you want..."

"Until I learn what I need to. Our leader... One thing she told me, when Rohokohiki came back, was that I needed was perspective. That I needed to get out in the world, to see his situation in order to judge him. Your words make more sense than months of traveling. I think maybe she foresaw this, and you will somehow help."

"I hope you find it," she said quietly, rising.

"And I hope you find what you're looking for, as well," he added, and reached for the latch on the door. "Goodnight."

With that, he had ended the conversation. She looked out, towards the dining room. Her mother was making lunches for the next morning, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

The feelings of selfishness would never go away, she knew. But she would do what she could, even if it was just paying them back in loving them back as best as she could.

She'd found what she'd been looking for, she knew. And that was why Horokohoro had stayed; he knew this, and he wanted to know how to do the same. She would do her best to help.

* wiki/Cheuton


	79. Rita: Rita and the New Man Pt1

So, yeah. Got a job, been working that. Got an interview for a second job, also writing-English related, coming up. It's been busy but good over here. And I'd imagine it being busy where you are, too, so I thank you for your continued reading!

Rita: Rita and the New Man

Episode 39  
Part 1

Fujuju backtracked out of the babies' room, barely allowing himself a breath. After hours of crying, or, at least what had felt like hours, the twins had fallen asleep. His steps were light on the old wood, not allowing a single creak.  
And then the sudden burst of loud dance music from down the hallway. The twins started wailing, and he joined in, allowing a small moan to escape as he rested his head against the doorframe for a moment.

He left the two to cry as he walked down the hall, to Rita's room. He knocked on it, but no answer. He sighed and continued to knock, more purposefully, and still no answer. He then turned his head, huffed, and opened the door.

And there was Rita, in the middle of the space she'd made for herself, on a laptop, her camera at her side, connected to the computer, bobbing her head along to the music blaring from the corner radio on a record player. His met eyes with the poster of the makeup-heavy artist and gave small mutter of disbelief before switching off the record player.

Rita shot her head up now in surprise, and now noticed him for the first time.  
"Dad? Hey!" she hopped up and led him by the arm over to the laptop. The Keronian man sat beside his daughter in front of the laptop and allowed her to set the video into playing. "I was wanting you to take a look at this! I did this for a band around here, thought you might like to watch what I've got, so far!"

"…Is that what it looks like for music out there, now?" he mustered the most polite tone he could as she continued to play through the video. When it cut to a scene of the camera going directly into a pit of people dancing in a tight group, he tensed in horror. He watched as a woman who looked tougher than he did on his best days punched a man who looked MUCH tougher than he knew he was on any day, and then resumed dancing.

He slowly, unconsciously, placed a hand to his mouth as he watched this.

"…You hate it?" Rita asked hesitantly as, after the video finished, he sat there, hand still over his mouth, silent.

He snapped his head to her automatically, "It's… Very interesting! I'm certain they'll adore it!" he replied cheerfully, quickly regaining himself.

Rita sighed and hung her head; his expression was still uneasy, at best. But this was expected; he wasn't exactly up-to-date on culture. It'd all been so different, then… And even back on Keron, it had been different for him.

"You really didn't like it, huh?"

"I like… That it's something you did. I just…. Honestly? I don't know how that's music," he finished weakly. "I-I've tried to find a way to appreciate it, though, I really have made the effort!"

"It's okay," she nudged him and smiled. "…You know, you don't look that much older than me, when you look the other way— Or, well, this way… But still…"

"Thank you?"

She laughed at this, "What I'm saying is, you should come with me when I film, some time! It's a lot more fun live, anyway! Maybe that's what you're not seeing! It'd be perfect!"  
The words "come with me, some time" were still ringing in his mind. His mouth twitched a little bit.

"We could… Definitely look into that!" he exclaimed and hopped up. "Got to go—The children are wailing and all…. I think they're hungry."

He cringed on his way out, feeling Rita's stare, and, more importantly, her disappointment, digging into him.

The tiny Eliza crawled about on the floor of the living room, only stopping when she took interest in Oliver's math homework. The older set of twins had laid out their homework on the floor, and Fujuju instructed them while holding the tadpole-looking Oriri in his arms.

"Yuck!" the young boy lifted up the nibbled-on homework and crinkled his nose with disgust.

Fujuju apologetically chuckled, and set his son aside, and then lifted up his daughter, who, even at this stage, was about half of his height. He sat her down beside him, and lifted up Oriri in his arms, and Eliza began to tug on his scarf.  
Maggie looked up from her homework and giggled at the sight of Fujuju wrestling with the two infants, and shut her textbook, "All done!"

"That's one of us. Looks like I'm gonna have to redo this…" Oliver grumbled, setting the damp sheet of paper down.

"Please. You'll turn that in and you know it. Last year some of Fran's meatloaf got on your science homework, and you still turned it in!"

"Eh, I was able to say it was extra credit, that I'd been trying to create a new mutant life form from her cooking," he shrugged and placed the homework in his binder without much more of a fight, and began to shut his own textbooks.

There was a knock on the door, and all looked in the direction of it, and Fujuju heard the crashing from the back rooms as Maggie headed to the front door. Rita hurried out, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Is he here?!"

"Is who here?" Fujuju looked expectantly to the front door, now, wondering "who" exactly she could mean. He was confused and Rita's smile fell as Maggie's boyfriend entered, a large box in his arms, and the young nerd struggling to get in with the heavy package.

"Finished it!" he grunted, and set it on the coffee table, atop several books and file folders.

"What's this now?" Fujuju stepped over to the box, and glanced inside it.

"Well, Tom was working on this as a school project, and I mentioned your computer was so old—"

"—A dinosaur," Oliver interjected.

"That he said he'd bring it by when he'd finished it! You're officially now up-to-date on technology!" Maggie exclaimed cheerfully.

"Really now!"

"Also brought this for you to borrow and try out," Tom reached into the box and pulled out a thin tablet. Fujuju took it as though he was holding a foreign object that he had yet to decide was friendly or not. "It's an ereader. Thousands of books on one device! Thought you might like that, too! Especially since you're so short! Well… Not short, but… Compared to the books here, and their sizes, well…"

"Best stop while you're there, mate," Oliver chuckled.

"I wouldn't really count on him using it. He's not big on new things," Rita called out as she walked back down the hall. The curtness of this stunned all, including Fujuju.  
"I… Show me how to work this in a moment, would you?" he handed the tablet off to Tom, and headed down the hall.

"Rita?" he knocked upon the door. "Rita? You all right? I'm coming in…"

He only noticed the light makeup on her features as he stepped into the busy-looking room. She got her love of clutter from him; that was certain…

"Did I do something?" he leaned down next to her, where she sat at her laptop once more. "What… What are you doing, anyway?"

"Just waiting for a date."

"A-Another one?"

The icy glare made him take a step back.

"There a problem with that?"

"N-No! Not at all! I just…"

The new knock on the door was a relief to the tension building in the room. Rita hopped up from her spot, leaving Fujuju standing there, still trying to sort out as to what exactly he had done.

He hurried her out after regaining himself, and followed her down the corridor and to the front door.

I would have rather seen Thomas alive there and ready to take his daughter out. He would have rather seen a Viper, or a punk, filled with tattoos and scars. Possibly even a chav.  
But Kururu stood there, hunched over, per usual, and he felt the world stop suddenly on its axis, just when he hadn't been prepared for it.

He walked past Fujuju and greeted the thrilled Rita. He added insult to injury by presenting her with a bouquet of pink flowers.

"Bloody hell," Oliver snorted through a giggle, and this was followed by Maggie hitting him in the ribs with an elbow and resuming her schoolwork—Or at least pretending to look like it.

"Kuku… You ready?"

"Just a minute! Let me grab my purse!" Rita shouted out, hurrying back into her room to find it and then returned in a rush. She kissed Fujuju on the cheek and was gone, her annoyance with him having, at least on the surface, appearing to have passed.

He promised we wouldn't smoke in the house anymore… But this was the only time he would. It was already three in the morning, and he'd lost concentration for anything and everything. He took another sip of his coffee and shook his head.

"…I wonder if a Catholic nunnery would take an Anglican?" he thought aloud, removing the cigarette and taking another sip of his coffee. When he heard footsteps from down the hall he was quick to flick the butt into the coffee and open the book he'd been attempting to read—This had only remained with him staring at the same page of The Tempest for hours on end.

"…Magic doesn't sound bad, about now…" he then flipped the page, so that he was now officially on page three.

Botan wandered out, slowly as usual, in a silver bathrobe and with her hair partially done up. She went to the refrigerator to find two bottles, but stopped, a suspicious look slowly spilling over from her thoughts to her features and falling all upon Fujuju. He cringed a bit, and she pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table and remained there, wordless.

"…Oh. I believe you would wish for me to say something supportive, now. Is this correct?"

"…Couldn't hurt, Love."

"You should destroy him."

"W-What?!"

"Spirit, first. Then move on to psychological warfare."

"Where did you even…?"

"Sorry. That was harsh."

"J-Just a little…"

"So I should do it for you, then. Very well."

"N-No one needs to destroy anyone… I just… Where did things go wrong?"

"…You won't like my answer to that."

The doors opened, and Rita stumbled in, laughing happily, "You sure you don't want to come in? I think we've got some coffee going, and I could always whip of some of that… What is it you like, curry? Yeah, can't be too hard, right? Oh? Well, okay! See you later!"

Fujuju's head drooped a little while hearing this, and he watched a Rita pranced in, her smile fading a bit as she saw her father and Botan at t he table. She recovered quickly, however, and pulled out some cold leftovers from the fridge, a fork, and her own cup of coffee.

"That was so much fun!" she sighed wistfully as she removed the covering from the plate of leftovers Fujuju had made her. "We went to a record shop, a café, and then a club—All alien-friendly! I never knew aliens could dance like that! You know he's a DJ? Great one at that, too! I… I guess I was sorta suspicious, but, I get it now! He expresses himself through music, just like you with your books and whatever!"

"Well I'm sorry it didn't work out," Fujuju reached over and patted her on the hand, and Rita cocked her head in confusion.

"What're you talking about?" she chuckled. "I'm seeing him next week, too!"

She watched as Fujuju's smile faded. Botan, even for being new to feelings, knew strain when she felt it. It was best to let this play out… Actually, her plan would have been much better, she thought, but this was the price for falling in love with a pacifist in the first place.

"Are you… Certain? I… I mean…"

"I know you wish I'd find someone a little, well…"

"Safe? Stable? Less-treacherous?"

"Except he's not! Not really! Just has a weird sense of humor!"

"Rita… I don't know…. "

"Dad… Just trust me on this?"

"I trust you. I do. It's him I don't necessarily…."

"You always tell me to trust and think the best of everyone, that that's what got you through growing up with the scientists, so why's this different?"

"T-That's no without exceptions, though… And… He's not someone to mess with, Rita. I've known them all longer than you have."

"Well, I've been dating longer than you, so we'll just say we both have our own experiences."

"I-It's not because I didn't want to! And it doesn't mean that I can't offer some good advice, now and again, on the subject!"

She hopped off of her chair and headed out, leftovers and coffee in hand.

"W-Where are you going?"

"Away from being talked to like I'm twelve. That happened a long time ago and you weren't here for it… So stop trying, all right? It just reminds me that it wasn't like that the first time around."

Her door shut, and, with that, was the conversation.

"…"

"…Are you all right?" Botan asked the Keronian. He only nodded.

"Y-Yes, quite all right… She's probably just tired. Now… I'll be in in a bit to bed. You go get a head start without me?"

Botan nodded, slid out of her seat, and walked back into the bedroom. He took a sip of his coffee, forgetting about the discarded cigarette, and recoiled in disgust from the taste of it.

"Fujuju Soucho! And on the day it was my turn to cook! This is some good luck!" Keroro, donning his "house help" attire, greeted the tired-looking Keronian on the front step.

"I brought a bottle—Hope it's all right!" he held it up and handed it to Keroro. The other Keronian smiled widely as he read the label.

"If we were in one of your stories I could be excited that this was wine, but calling it sparkling grape juice is fine, too!" Keroro exclaimed, and hurried off to the kitchen with it under his arm.

Fujuju gave a chuckle at this, and closed the door behind himself. "I was hoping to speak to one of your subordinates?"

The green Keronian hopped up on a stool, scaling its rungs until he reach the top, and resumed what he had been doing previous to Fujuju's knocking, slicing some vegetables for a dinnertime curry, "Of course! But Tamama isn't here right now, unfortunately. I could always give him a call, if need be! He usually picks up pretty fast!"

"I can ring him up later. I was actually…. I wanted to speak with Kururu-san."

Keroro continued slicing upon hearing this. He didn't pay much mind to the fact he had starting slicing into a few fingers until the squirting blood became too much to ignore. Even then, he treated this with an unblinking stare as he looked straight ahead to the mortified Fujuju, whom had recoiled in horror.

"He's down the hall," Keroro pointed calmly with the knife.

"Are… Are you going to be all right?"

"Whatever are you talking about, Fujuju Soucho?"

"Not… Not a thing…" he muttered and scuttled away down the hallway.

"So…They've finally joined forces…. It's as I've always feared….. Could… Could they really pull off an invasion, all by themselves?"

He wondered this, knowing the true answer, much to his chilly horror, while Natsumi headed downstairs, her inquiry as to who had come for a visit forming into a shriek of shock, then a yell of disgust for Keroro to clean up his mess.

Meanwhile, Fujuju could hear his thoughts pounding in his head as he walked down the hall, fists clenched in anticipation of some sort of confrontation. He headed down further and further into the based, passing Mois opposite on the opposite moving sidewalk. She was dressed in full Angol garb, and stood with her spear at her side.

"Hello!" she called out with a cheerful wave, "Could you say, a good day for destruction?"

"Let's… Hope it doesn't come to that. I like to think of myself as a peaceful man…"

It was several more levels down to the lab, which was curiously left unlocked and seemingly unguarded. From here, Kururu wasn't hard to find. His gave away his position without little effort. And Fujuju followed this, and came upon the Keronian scientist and Rita, sitting on the floor of the lab, across from each other, a laptop in front of either of them. So that was how dating worked in the modern age… The yellow Keronian had his headphones plugged into a jack, while Rita saw with a pair sitting crooked, one on the side of her head and the other lying on her neck.

"Well, you hear this, yet?" she offered as almost a challenge, hitting a few buttons on the laptop.

"Eh?" Kururu leaned forward, and clicked the link. After a few moments of listening, he nodded in approval. "Not bad. The original's better, though."

"No way there's an original! I heard them perform this!"

"Kuku, oh, really now?" he countered with his own link, and Rita gaped as she clicked on it and listened.

"They did this, first! I'm impressed!"

"I'm more impressed at your father's sense of direction, kuku!"

Rita spun around, and Fujuju hopped back immediately at the gasp of horror, "What… What are you even doing here?!"

"I… Was hoping to talk with Kururu…" he answered, clearing his throat.

"The heck about?!"

"Papa! I finished cataloging! It wasn't really fun like you said it'd be, but it's done!" Kirere entered from the opposite direction, her arms full of equipment. This was too much equipment, however, and several of the machines dropped from it, one falling to the ground and firing off a shot. It firing off and hitting Fujuju seemed to all run in slow-motion.

Rita gave a yelp. Kururu stood, but made no motion, nor emotion, after that. And the smoke cleared, revealing her father.

Even with a moment's glance, however, he looked different. The familiar green eyes had gone dull, and looked more yellowish.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kirere gasped, dropping the rest of the weapons. Another fired into the distance, and she gave a squeak, jumping backwards instinctively.

"This is the one you fired?" Kururu lifted it up by the very end—Although it was of his own creation, he held it in his hand with little regard, like a piece of unwanted metal.

"I-I-I guess! I don't know! I'm sorry, really!"

"Dad, are you… Okay?" Rita approached him, and he looked to her as he lifted himself up and adjusted the scarf.

"What? I'm fine. Why?" he looked to her, now, and Rita felt small. She could not hear any words come out of her throat, and they only remained in the back, half-formed and clogged by the chill in his voice.

"Looks like it's damaged…" Kururu muttered, attempting to fire it once more but getting nowhere with the trigger. "Tch. Well, that's certainly a problem."

He shook it, and it rattled a bit, "…This is going to take some fixing…"

"I-I can help! Really!" Kirere exclaimed.

"Kukuku… You should just get to your room."

"W-What? I…"

"I'm serious. I'm pulling a parenting card, here, so you should get going."

Her shoulders fell and she winced, turning away and heading to her room.

"That was a little harsh…" Rita muttered.

"It was a safety measure," Kururu answered, a hand dangling loosely in front of his grin as he and Rita watched her father move about the room. The small, shuffled footsteps were different, now. While there was grace, there was also a feeling he was planning something.  
He swiveled and stopped against one of the chrome finishes of the lab walls, and frowned in dissatisfaction. Rita watched, agape, as he shrugged off the scarf, switched on his Pekoponian disguise. He examined the reflection, as if seeing himself for the first time, and began to head out.

"W-Wait! Where are you going!?" she yelped, lifting up the scarf and standing there, helpless and dazed.

"Doesn't much matter to you, does it? Never really does," he replied with a chuckle. "All know is, I feel like the weight of the world's suddenly off of my shoulders. Ta!"

"W-What… What'd that do to him?"

"Kukuku! Nothing good…."


	80. Rita: Rita and the New Man Pt2

Just a head's up, I KNOW it's a little while away yet, but next episode will be episode 40, and it will be a countdown from thirteen to the conclusion of our series. That wasn't meant to bum anyone out, I SWEAR. Even talking about it bums ME out, so I won't harp on that for long, but just wanted to make that announcement, now, so there's no... Huge-ish shocker when we hit episode 52. Either way, enjoy! '''

Rita: Rita and the New Man  
Episode 39

PART 2

He turned to the computer, and hopped up into his chair. He was propelled up, and out from black depths around the screens popped up several keyboards.

The screens switched from mundane images to surveillance shots from inside of the house. No corner was left untouched. And on a bottom right one, Rita could see her father, calmly headed out of the base, his hands in his pockets, slumped over a bit. But his smile was there. There, and somehow, now, menacing.

In the other screens there were shots of the other platoon members… Or, at least as far as Rita could see, Giroro and Keroro. The red one sat polishing his weapons calmly, while the green one was cleaning up the wrecked kitchen.

"Senpai," Kururu spoke calmly, and Giroro shot his head up at the sound of his name.

"K-Kururu! Where….?"

"Under the rock, kuku…"

"Figures. That's where a snake would hide. I thought I told you not to put things like that in here, you bastard. I took enough time to find every bug last time."

"And yet your still haven't found three. There's a threat coming your way, I'd keep on lookout."

"What'd you do now?!"

"Kuku… There will be time for that, later. For now, I'd look and see if you had anything fireproof."

"F-Fireproof?!" Rita yelped.

Kururu turned to her, "Well, you want him to face him unarmed?"

"Y-Yes! My dad wouldn't hurt anybody!"

"Maybe if he was normal… Right now, though, he's the opposite of how he normally is. That's how that machine works, after all. Well… Worked. Kukuku!"

"Please tell me that you mean he can't cook."

"…Senpai, go to the front entrance. I'll try to lock down from here."

"L-Lock down? How… How bad is this…?"

"Now please don't make this awkward by making me have to give an answer to that."  
On the screen, Rita watched as he father stopped at the door that had been secured by a thick wall of steel. He calmly lifted up the access pad, thought for a moment, and dialed a few numbers. And then the doors opened, and he walked through, without any intrusion.

"He's… Terrible at technology…"

"But he's a quick learner, right?"

"I… I guess… I've gotta get up there!"

"Not so fast. You should stay down—" Kururu glanced to his left, and she was gone, already. "…Or not."

Rita was rushing down the lab, hurrying to catch up with her father, "Dad… What's gotten into you?" she whispered.

"All finished!" Keroro leaned against his mop and sighed wistfully; he could practically see his reflection against the polished linoleum. It looked more skating rink than actual floor, at the moment, "And that should take care of my chores for the evening, too!"  
"KERORO! Get down!" Giroro barked, and Keroro found himself tackled to the ground, Giroro on top of him. The bucket of water, that had served to help mop the floor, spilled out everywhere.

"G-Giroro Goucho! W-Wait! What are you-?!"

"He's dressed like a stupid Pekoponian again…" Giroro growled as he stood up and held out a hand. A gun materialized in it, and he never took his eyes off of Fujuju. The Keronian in disguise smirked at this gesture, and then gave a tiny giggle, which broke out into a full-fledged laugh.

"What's so funny?" Giroro snarled.

"And no one's connected you to Rokiki, yet. Even with that personality. It's amazing the level of idiocy that's allowed to fun rampant in here," Fujuju giggled, and wiped a tear from his eye.

There were steps pounding down the stairs. Angry steps. Natsumi step. "Stupid Frog! I leave you for five seconds to call Fuyuki and—Eh? Fujuju-san?"

"Natsumi, don't go near him! He's not right!" Giroro shouted to her.

"Well, none of your are…" she muttered plainly.

"Dad!" Fujuju turned at the sound of Rita's voice, and gave a roll of the eyes. "C-Come on back down and Kururu can fix you!"

"…Just like everybody's always wanted to do and always tried to do. I'm happy enough, thank you, to be free of all of that…" he headed to the sliding door, and Giroro went for the attack. Rita gave a yelp, seeing the drawn gun, and tackled the soldier. This, in turn, caused him to misfire the gun, and where Keroro had had a recently cleaned kitchen, there was now a fresh hole in the refrigerator.

"Don't hurt him!" she yelled, hitting him aside the head senselessly.

"All right, all right!" he gripped onto her hands and growled. "What do we do, then?!"

"I… I don't know… You all are soldiers, right? You should know how to handle stuff like this!"

"What did you think the gun's for?!"

"There's nothing other than the gun?!" she yelped.

"Kuku…. I think you know that there is…"

Rita went pale, and both she and Giroro looked to Kururu, who had entered the living room from down below unnoticed.

"The Grant Foundation specializes in things like this, doesn't it? Aliens going rampant and needing aide?"

"…How do you even know about them….?"

"Because I'm adorable, and that goes a long way with collecting intel, kukuku!"

"…I don't want to bring them in to this," she shook her head, and Giroro wriggled out from beneath her.

"What the heck is the Grant Foundation?" Gioror demanded, dusting himself off.

"Kukuku… Senpai, don't you ever wonder who watches the watchmen?"

"…Make sense, already, idiot."

"The answer is that they do. But… I watch them."

Rita shook, visibly, and Kururu made a small grunt of a noise, and, for a brief moment, it looked as though his attention had turned to her.

"Eh… That's nice, but who's watching Fujuju Soucho, right now?" Keroro asked with a light chuckle, pointing to the open doors.

"That's been taking care of… And you should make a phone call, shouldn't you?" he asked Rita. She gave a sneer and pushed her way past him, back down to the base.  
The sound of a rocking explosion brought everyone out of the moment of quiet, and Kururu calmly glanced out the glass door, "Looks like it's not quite fast enough… Drat."

On the roof of the building, Fujuju stood there, laughing and looking over his handiwork. The fountain was wrecked, and the grass surrounding it was blazing, an after-affect of driving an unattended car into the middle of the park. The sound of the tires popping was music to his ears.

"Now how can we make this better?" he glanced over his shoulder, and his smile grew at the sight of a gas station, "…Absolutely brilliant."

"Fujuju-san! Fujuju-san!" the dark purple blip in the sky that somehow knew his name zipped down to at a breakneck speed, and details of Tamama on a saucer became clearer and clearer, until he was right in front of his friend. "D-Don't you want to go home and bake something nice?! O-Or read a nice book? I can show you some new comics I got in the mail!"

"… I don't have time for you, you self-entitled brat," he snapped, and slid down to the sidewalk.

"…He… He can do that?!" Tamama muttered, aghast. He followed Fujuju on his saucer, yelling out to him all along the way. "L-Let's just go home and watch one of those old movies! Or play those really big CDs with the boring songs I'll pretend to get!"

Fujuju was undeterred, though. He turned a corner for the gas station, whistling as he pulled out a lighter from his pocket.

"Fujuju-san! I really like you! I don't want to have to use a Tamama Impact on you! Please don't make me!"

"…You wouldn't have the guts to…. Quit talking like you're going to and if you're going to, please, add to the fire. You'd do me a favor..."

Tamama took in a large gasp of air, and puffed out his chest, "A-All right, I didn't want to do this, but—"

A sucker punch to the stomach was all Fujuju needed topple over. Tamama watched in horror as Fujuju crumpled over, and humanized Rokiki, who had remained behind a dumpster until then, rubbed his sore knuckles.

"That felt good…. I waited millions of years to do that," Rokiki laughed, glancing down to the incapacitated Fujuju.

"What do you think he's saying to him, Gunso?" Tamama whispered, looking through the one-sided glass. With him stood the rest of his platoon, minus Dororo, with Natsumi and Rita there, as well, all watching in the dark room through to the other room. Fujuju had awoken and recovered from the blow to his stomach, and sat there, in a metal chair, across from a matching table, staring down Rokiki.

"Nothing, yet," Giroro answered, his arms folded across his chest. He wasn't focused on the grinning Fujuju, though. He was more fixed upon Rokiki. What Fujuju had said hadn't escaped him… And he stood there, staring, as if he would suddenly make the connection appear out of nothing.

"So I guess you're my sitter until they get someone in to fix me?" Fujuju chuckled, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back.

"…You're annoying when you're like this. I'm looking forward to when they do get here…" Rokiki mumbled. "I'm just here to keep you for getting out and doing something the slightly less annoying version of you will regret."

"Oh, I don't know. You really think the other version of me was less bothersome? Always having an answer, even when people don't ask for them? You ever get the feeling the wanting to help everyone and putting up with everything is just to offset guilt?"

"I think you do it because you don't know when to stop being nosy," Rokiki answered plainly, tapping his fingers against the table. "It's just who you are."

"No," Fujuju leaned in, and Rokiki couldn't help but instinctively pull away, "…This IS who I am. This is who they wanted, all those years ago. I've just become what everyone always wanted to have me grow up to be."

"…I know that the stuff back then messed you up, but they messed all of us up," Rokiki sighed. "Get in line."

"…That's rich. Coming from the one who turned in to a pathetic drunkard over what happened to him."

"…I can't tell you how glad I'm going to be when they repair that thing."

"You mean repair this thing?" Fujuju chuckled and pointed to himself.

"Ugh…"

"…Do you ever wonder about what you left behind, back then?" Fujuju asked in an even tone. "You see the effects practically everyday, after all. Is that one of the things that drove you to drink more?"

Rokiki's face lost its anger, for brief a moment , then, as he faced Fujuju, wordless, but with wide eyes. He had the look of someone who had laid a hand on a live wire, and was still recovering from the jolt of it.

"Someone else take over!" Rokiki shouted, giving a knock on the glass. "If I stay in here any longer, I'm going to kill this idiot."

"You realize you're rather cute when you're angry!" Fujuju chuckled, and Rokiki returned with a wince.

"…I wonder what that was about…" Natsumi muttered.

Rokiki slammed open the door open—And Fujuju wasted no time rushing the door and running out past him. Giroro, Rokiki, and Rita took after him, Rita managing to somehow find the brief strength to run to the front and chase after him down the halls.

"Damnit!" Rokiki snarled as he ran beside Giroro. "I fell right into what he wanted!"

"There's no time to concentrate on that!" Giroro yelled, sliding as Fujuju turned a sharp corner. "…Where the hell does he think he's going?!"

Rita jumped off of the corner after nearly falling against it, and continued down further into the lab. And as she followed him down the halls, and she started to feel it become warmer and warmer.

"He's going to the central core!" Giroro shouted.

"What'll that do?!" Rokiki called out.

"Put a crater where we're at, right now, for one!"

"Dad!" Rita shrieked through a heavy pant, feeling her chest tighten from the chase down to the central power.

Through a set of sliding doors, at the end of a metal catwalk, was a blast of heat. Fujuju glanced back to her, once, and then hurried through to the other side.  
The heat was sweltering. A green glow shone off of the reactor, a long, large tube of energy. Here, the catwalk circled around it, fully, only one portion extending out to the edge, with a control panel at the end of it. He ran to this, falling over it as he stopped his marathon to it.

"Dad!" Rita stopped in front of him, and doubled over, her hands on her knees. The tiny Keronian woman glanced up to his Keronian-in-disguise father, and sucked up air to attempt to let out a plea. "P-Please… Don't…. Don't…"

He looked down at the control panel, and to her, and then turned to the panel.  
"I'm sorry!" she shouted. Rokiki and Giroro burst through the doors, but Rokiki placed an arm on his shoulder to stop.

"….Give it a minute."

"I'm sorry I got mad at you… I get mad when you get into my business, but I still get jealous when you pay the others attention… I know I shouldn't but…. I didn't have you around for any of that… And I always grew up wanting that. It's hard to see that, don't you get it?!"

Fujuju had turned around, at this point, and where he would have otherwise offered words of comfort, he remained there, confused.

"Mom was away so much… I… I loved her, but one of the last things we did was fight… So… If you're going to do that… I just want to tell you I'm sorry if I make you worry or push you away…" now, any façade of being able to keep an even mood was gone, and she was there, on her knees, sobbing. "I… I wasn't even there when she…. I… I don't want that to happen again."

Fujuju stared down at her, and slowly removed one hand, then the other, from the console, he kneeled down, and silently lifted up the sobbing girl.

"…No matter what happens to him, he's still enough of himself to love… Weak bastard," Rokiki muttered to Giroro.

A popping noise alerted all to the other side of the core, and Rita gave a yelp of horror as Fujuju went limp, and slumped down on to the metal grate flooring.  
High heels clicked along the circular grate, and as she approached them, Lee replaced her gun in its holster.

"He'll be all right," she said calmly to Rita, staring down at the daughter and father on the ground.

"S-She's involved?" Giroro balked.

"That should do it…." Kururu stood behind Kirere as she tightened the last screw on the gun, and the small pink Keronian handed the gun off to her father.

"I'll miss you being so laid back!" Rita giggled, her hands on the cheeks of Fujuju's face. Both stood there, in their Keronian form, and she finished adjusting his scarf around his neck. "If… Anything, try for that a little more, okay?"

"No promises with that nerd," he sighed, and sauntered away from here, standing in front of Kururu and the others. "All right, shoot."

"Kukuku! Gladly. There's only room for one badass genius, after all," Kururu chuckled, and fired directly at him. The tough Fujuju gave a yell, and slumped to the ground.

"Dad!" Rita rushed down and knelt down to him, lifting one of his arms over her shoulders.

"Neh… Rita… Are you… Are you all right?"

"Really?!" she laughed. "You.. You're the one who just got shot! Again!"

"I know, but you know I worry…" he said through a groan.

"…And that's how I came to know Miss Chu," Lee opened the barrel of her gun and spun it, glancing down and noticing a missing bullet. She sat on a cinder block opposite of Giroro and Rokiki, and the two gave her twin skeptical looks.

"Does Chunini know you basically were assigned to stalk her to keep her in line?" Rokiki asked, his arms folded.

Lee gave a nod, "…She was willing to have a bodyguard, at that point. I also allowed for her to finally be what she wanted—A musician. And I was able to keep track of her, up until then, sloppy moves. She would have perhaps given away an alien presence before your planet would have even considered an invasion."

"Explains why someone so trigger-happy's a manager to a frilly musician…" Rokiki muttered. "Solves that mystery, I guess…"

"Well, then solve one of mine. Who is the Grant Foundation?" Giroro cut straight to the bone, and Lee sighed and stood.

"I've already said too much," Lee stood. "I need to get back before she wakes up and misses me."

"Chunini?"

"My daughter," Lee answered, shoving her gun in its holster.

"I thought Chunini adopted the child…" Giroro muttered.

"We both have taken to her," Lee raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you one of two fathers?"

"T…That's beyond the point…! And it's not like that!" Giroro snapped, red glowing from his face.

Lee glanced to her watch and sighed. She began to walk away, but stopped before heading out the back gate. "…You'll be hearing more from us, if things go as they're headed. And they will."

"…I don't like this…." Giroro muttered to Rokiki.

"…And that's why Pekoponians aren't to be trusted," Rokiki grumbled. "…I'm going home…"

"Rokiki," Giroro called out to him. "…What did Fujuju mean by a connection…?"

"..I have a chair I need to finish," Rokiki slid the glass door behind him.

"…There're rats hiding from us in plain sight on all sides… I don't like this…." Giroro said to himself.

"There!" she adjusted Fujuju's scarf, and Rita stood back and grinned at her handiwork. "Just like the old new you!"

"T-Thank you… And… You're certain…"

"No one was injured, Dad. For the twentieth time!" she laughed. She sat across from him in the living room of his home—Their home. Maggie and Oliver had come by and expressed their relief that he was all right, and Botan, knowingly, had decided to give father and daughter space, and tend to the younger twins. "Everyone's fine! Everyone's forgiven you!"

He could think of one person who hadn't, but he allowed this thought out of his mind as Rita leaned across and embraced him around the neck.

"I'm sorry you had to see that…." he added sheepishly.

"Let's just put it behind us, all right?"

"Right. Rita… About… Kururu…."

"Don't worry," she held up her hands. "I called off anything and everything with him. I think I'm going to give up dating, period, for about twenty or so years."

"I think you should give the chap another shot."

"…W…What?"

"He's …" Fujuju winced, and brought his knees up to his chin. "I was preoccupied with thinking he wasn't that far a stretch from myself, or what I could be. And I didn't want you with someone like that. But… That version of me you saw… That's what I was afraid he was. And he's a bit odd, but so was I… And your mother saw past it and loved me."

"L-Loved? Dad, it's not that serious. Some times people date and it's all just for fun, that's all. We listened to records, that's it."

"Your mother and I listened to music, often, too, you know."

"She liked to say it was a Edith Piaf record that was the reason I was here in the first place," Rita tilted her head to a side thoughtfully, while Fujuju gave an aghast stare. She punched him in the shoulder and giggled. "All right… But you won't get weird and stalk us?"

"As long as he's aware that there are to be some ground rules. And one's absolutely no Edith Piaf!"

"As old as that stuff is… You can bet on it," she laughed and stood.

"…Rita….?" Fujuju's voice was small, and he turned around on his spot to her. "…I… Why were you so angry over your mother's organization coming in and helping?"

"…Because I felt like I was just a player in a play that was about the Foundation," she answered. "It gave us the freedom to finally connect and walk around… But it took so much out of Mom… And took so much time from us, I always felt… I didn't want to think somebody else I was starting to care about would get attached to them and get swallowed up, too."

"She started it to protect you, you know…"

"I know. And I'm not ungrateful … I guess she could just love me a little too much, when it came to that, is all."

Fujuju gave an understanding nod, and watched as Rita walked back into her bedroom. He pulled a photograph out of his scarf, looked down, and smiled at it, "….She thinks I'm just as insufferable and smothering as you thought I could be… I suppose, even if you were busy, you still did a fine job of raising her."

A knock on his door caused his head to shook straight up, "…Kururu-san?"

He cautiously headed to the door, and ever so gently turned the doorknob. He peeked out, and then opened it fully, puzzled by Rokiki's standing in front of him.

"I borrowed that candy-loving brat's portal," Rokiki explained. "There's something I need to know about, something you mentioned."

"…Lord, don't tell me this is about the "cute" comment. I was right out of my mind, you know that."

"No. I want to know how you knew."

"…Why don't you step inside? I'll put the kettle on of us both."

Kururu looked over his arsenal silently, cataloging it in his mind. Through the sheet of glass, everything looked in order. Every raygun and beam was in tact… Or…  
He leaned down to examine one on the bottom, that rested on two hooks, like all of the others. The end of it was singed… And a piece was chipped off.

"So you're the other one that fired…" he opened the cabinet and held in his hands. "…The impulsive action gun… Kukuku…. I suppose it would wear off after a while, but… Heaven forbid someone get hit with it… And me not be there to watch the fun, kuuuukukuku!"

"Hrm?" Koyuki bolted up from her sleeping position and into full-on attack mode, with a small dagger in her hand. She relaxed a bit, however, when she saw it was only Dororo in the doorway of the tiny house they shared. "Oh! Dororo! You're back!"  
His paleness didn't escape her, and as he stepped forward, nearly falling over himself, she gave a gasp.

"W-What is it? Your health? Come and lay down!" she led him to his mat, and he nodded gratefully to this. "You were at your friend's house a long time!"

"Ah, I got a little sidetracked, Koyuki-dono…."

"…Hrmm…." she tilted her head to a side, and he could feel himself begin to start cold sweating. She pressed her forward against his, gently, and frowned. "You have a bad fever! You should get to bed. You can tell me about what happened in the morning, okay?"

"R-Right…" he nodded, and allowed her to pull a blanket over him. And as she laid down, back to sleep, he hoped the morning would take its time getting there.


	81. Natsumi & Haruki: School Invasion! Pt1

Gosh it's swell to update. T.T Would love to say it's been so long because of life-altering things I've been undertaking, but it's not. A lot of the time it's a matter of just getting frustrated with my eight-year-old laptop . ;; Hopefully that won't be much of an issue, in the coming months.

Also, saw a show recently that did something I liked, so might implement some of that, here and there. Just for fun. Why not? ;-P

Like here:  
sviv'h blfi ivdziw uli blfi xsvn gvhg, irvm!

And there:  
PRIVIV + GZNZNZ = HKZXV EVTZH

Episode 40  
Natsumi and Haruki: The School Invasion!  
PART 1

"Okay, Mama… Fuyuki will make sure to call you if anything happens. All right, I'll see you then," Natsumi hung up her phone, and craned her head it to look at Fuyuki. Hacking and coughing. Just like Momoka. Just like Chandi. The entire Occult Club, all three members, had contracted the flu.

"I… I can go, Nee-chan!" Fuyuki reassured her, and started to stand.

"No way. Mama says you've got to stay home, so stay home, all right?" Natsumi gently took him by the shoulders and laid him back down on the bed. "I left everything in here you should need, so you don't need to go relying on Stupid Frog for anything, okay?"

"All… All right," he sniffed, and sneezed. She sighed and closed the door behind her, only to see Keroro at her knees, a tray with a bowl of soup in his hands.

"Oh no you don't. It's probably something weird," she muttered flatly, gripping him by the back of the apron and walking him downstairs.

"It… It's just a remedy that's popular on Keron! It's proven to taken care of most illnesses of this nature, Natsumi-dono."

"Well keep weird things like that away from Fuyuki! You don't need him getting all excited when he needs to rest, anyway!" she huffed, and lifted up her bag after setting Keroro on the ground. "Now go get rid of that!"

"But… Natsumi-dono!"

"Now!" she slammed the door behind her, and Keroro's eye twitched.

"I… Didn't even get to tell you I'd put some in your bag for lunch…."

"Achoo!" the tiny sneeze didn't escape Natsumi, and she glanced to Koyuki, reached in her bag and pulled out a tissue for her ninja friend.

Natsumi gave a small sigh, "Don't tell me Koyuki-chan's coming down with a flu, too?"

"It's just allergies, Natsumi-san!" Koyuki waved this off. "We learned how to fend things like this off in the village!"

She gave another sneeze, followed by a sniff, "I wasn't really ever that good at it…."

"Fuyuki's got the same thing back home. Maybe we should take you down to the nurse's."

"No, no, I'll be fine!"

"Are you sure? I'll go with you, if you want…"

Koyuki lit up as soon as Natsumi had finished this sentence. The look from the ninja set the redheaded girl aback, naturally.

"….R-Really? Let's go!" even with her illness, the ninja girl was excited by the very thought of alone time with her redheaded companion. She grabbed Natsumi by the hand, and with a speed that surprised all of the other classmates, rushed out of the classroom, down the hall to the nurse's station.

"K-Koyuki-chan! They won't think you're sick if you rush like that!" Natsumi squealed, and Koyuki skidded to a halt in the long hallway of the school, Natsumi crashing into her back, although Koyuki remained there, unwavering.

"I… I guess you're right!" Koyuki's eyes widened and she gave a sheepish chuckle.

Natsumi sighed, shook her head, and entered the office. The usual nurse wasn't there. Instead was a woman with a stack of files in her arms. He was a little bit older, with her hair tied back, and she gave an automatic smile as the girls entered.

"Can I help you girls?" she asked, flashing a bright smile.

"Hrm…" Koyuki attempted to sniff the air, but only ended up giving a sneeze, instead.

"My friend's feeling really sick…"

"You're lucky, we have a doctor in, today!" the nurse exclaimed in a gentle voice, stepping to the side and extending her arm out.

"A doctor?" Natsumi muttered, a bit impressed, and her tone giving this away. But what would a doctor be doing there?

She held on to Koyuki's hand loosely as she walked past the cots, and they found the doctor with his back turned to them, seated on a rolling stool. He was muttering to himself, looking over some files, and swiveled around as he felt the presence of the duo.

Natsumi didn't recognize him, at first. He had a white coat on, and dressed in a cheap suit. His brown hair was tied back, and his bangs fell to his side. He pushed up a pair of glasses, flashing an old watch. And Natsumi's smile fell. And his did, too, as it all sunk in for both of them.

"W-What are you doing here?!" Natsumi demanded at Haruki's presence.  
"E-Eh? I have to do things like this to keep my license!" he answered, holding up his hands in defense, one of which still held a pen in it. "I didn't even know this was your school!"

"…What about the uniform?" she pointed to the familiar crest on the white shirt. "You never noticed me or Fuyuki wearing it? Ever?"

"Okay.… Okay, you win. So I knew it was your school, but I go to schools all over the district…. I only do it every once in a while, you'll probably have graduated by the time I come back here again…."

"But, wait, haven't we gone here about seven years, now?" Koyuki sniffed.

Haruki sighed and stood, and replaced the pen with a thermometer. He placed a cap over this, and placed it in Koyuki's mouth, and then whistled at the readout.

"Thirty-eight!" he muttered and shook his head. "…Looks like a simple flu, but just to be safe, you should probably get some rest here… I don't exactly do this for everybody, but I can even fill out a prescription here, I brought my pad with me…"

"Can you give me some aspirin while I'm here? I've got a headache, all of a sudden…" Natsumi muttered, clutching her forehead. The Bill Dodger. The Bill Dodger as a doctor… And a competent one, at that… It was all a little much.

"Yeah, yeah, got it…" he muttered, nodding. He stopped for a moment, and looked past them, to the nurse. Natsumi and Koyuki turned their heads, as well, and the nurse glanced back at them, and then went back to work on the files.

"…You can lay down over here," Haruki shook his head and motioned to the cots, and Koyuki nodded and went to one… Although something seemed a bit off about the expressions they wore, Natsumi noticed.

"You sure you don't want me to stay, Koyuki-chan?" Natsumi looked down at her friend on the cot, and Koyuki smiled.

"I'll be fine, Natsumi-san! Suzuyama-san said it was just a flu!" Koyuki yawned and rolled over on to her side. "I'll be fine by tomorrow! Ninjas are strong, after all!"

"A-All right…" Natsumi wasn't fully convinced… But it was Koyuki. If there was one thing she couldn't fight her on, it was the fact that Koyuki was indeed strong. Maybe that was what bothered her most about seeing her sick.

Natsumi walked back down the hall, feeling the silence of the building almost enveloped her. She wasn't sure what… But something felt incredibly wrong about the whole thing, suddenly. It was the morning, but it almost gave the appearance of evening time, from the tall shadows along the walls.

When she entered the classroom, she found all of her classmates at their desks, their heads down and buried in textbooks. All on the same page. Even her teacher stood there, at the front, the page of his book also turned. He seemed just as concentrated upon it.

Natsumi quietly slid into her seat, looked about for a moment, and then opened her textbook to the same page. It was a lesson they'd already covered, but perhaps it was a review.

And all of the students and the teacher remained on the same page, staring down at it, blankly. She heard no turning of the pages, no coughing, no rustling of desk chairs. She heard absolutely nothing.

So the door opening once more nearly made her jump out of her own seat. There stood Koyuki, a neutral expression across her face. The ninja girl, seemingly healed sooner than even Natsumi thought possible, automatically flipped her book to the same page and began to stare at it.

"Koyuki-chan!" Natsumi whispered. "Hey! Koyuki-chan! Are you feeling all right?"

Koyuki's head immediately snapped over to Natsumi, and the redheaded girl, for the first time, got to stare into Koyuki's dull eyes.

And then she noticed there were other eyes around here… The entire classroom.

Koyuki began to stand from her desk, as did the others in the room, all at about the same time. And all circled Natsumi, shuffling toward her, slowly.

"W-What's going on? Ehehehe… I-Is this some kind of joke?!" she demanded, crouching down a bit. They weren't getting any farther away, though. They were only moving closer—Koyuki one of the closest ones of all.

Natsumi wasn't where it came from, but a chair from one of the desks appeared, then, and smashed down on her desk. She gave a scream of shock.

And across town, Giroro looked up from the obsessive polishing of his gun, enough so that the bluing had practically worn off, and Kirere looked up from her spot in front of the firepit that she had been using to play with Neko.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"I… I think Natsumi needs me… I think I just heard her!"

"W-What, are you sure?"

"Definitely! And it's not like her to scream like that…"

"You mean not screaming at Ojiisan?"

"Right," he nodded. Giroro stood to attention, weapon still in hand, and he hurried inside. "Keep an eye on the sweet potatoes for me! I'll be back as soon as I can!"

The little girl gazed into the fire, and the sweet potatoes cooking over a spit, and reached out to pet the cat anxiously.

Crawling underneath had worked. The students, in their trance, were still shuffling forward slowly in a trance. Natsumi, turning to look over her shoulder, noted she had cleared all of them, and stood up, bolting for the exit.

She slammed the door behind her, and hurried down the hall. It was even darker, than before, And she could hear it, the shuffling from other feet behind her.

Where to go, where to go… From each of the classrooms she heard shuffling. The roof wouldn't make any sense to run up to… That's what they always did in those scary movies Fuyuki would watch, some times. And she had seemingly found herself in the middle of one… Natsumi couldn't help but, for a brief moment, think that he would be upset about missing a day such as this one.

"In here!" she heard, and, without much hesitation, she hurried back into the nurse's office.

Haruki shut the door behind them, and Natsumi pulled a chair up to the doorknob, successfully jamming it shut. She then took a step back, panting, and allowing herself to survey the situation.

"W-What did your friends do this time?" Haruki stuttered, backing away from the door, himself, and eyeing it intensely.

"M-My friends?! My friends are out there!" Natsumi yelped, pointing to the door. "Plus your friend just turned someone into a pyromaniac, last week, so don't talk about my friends like that to begin with!"

"She didn't mean it!" Haruki returned in a snap, and removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "Okay, so… They could be zombies..."

"Don't talk like Fuyuki about things that aren't real!"

"Not real. Right… Did any of them have bite marks, like… Around the neck? No, that's vampires… Wait, they're not vampires, either, right?"

"Get serious, Bill Dodger!" she snapped, and headed to the back of the room, and to the large window. Looking out at it, and down, she frowned. "…We could climb out, then call Stupid Frog and his friends to see what's going on…"

"Cell phones aren't working… Computers are out, too…" Haruki sighed, glancing over to the computer. "Tried to get in touch with kiddo when stuff started getting weird… Starting with that nurse…"

"I think Koyuki-chan felt something, too," Natsumi sighed, her head dropping. She gave a yelp at the sound of a scratching at the door, and both she and Haruki jumped back.

"…Maybe I should just let the license expire… The degree just took me eight years… And then six more to finally finish…" Haruki muttered, untying his hair and looking to the door with slight apprehension. "…So when did they start acting like that for you?"

"Right after I came back to the classroom from dropping off Koyuki-chan," Natsumi answered, and opened the glass window. She looked down, and shuddered, seeing more students out in the courtyard, forming a semicircle underneath the window and staring up at them silently, intently.

"…That's not good…" Haruki took a seat on the ground and folded his legs underneath him. "…Grandma, what would you think it is that's going on….?"

Natsumi shut the window and frowned, taking a seat on the edge of one of the beds.

The most she could do, now, was wait until she was noticed.

And at least, if there was a blessing to living in a crowded house, it was that that didn't take all that long.

"Natsumi!" Giroro gave a shout as he rushed up to the school, dressed in his Pekoponian outfit, looking a bit like a flustered and perhaps sunburned businessman during a break. "Natsumi!" he shouted out again at the front of the school. He didn't get farther than yelling, though. As he attempted to rush through the gates, he fell back. It wasn't like a shock… More like running into a glass door.

He stood, and cautiously knocked against the clear dome… And this was exactly what it was. A glass separator from Natsumi… The panic was quick and real and intense.

Giroro gave another shot, and frowned, frustrated as it ricocheted off of the glass. Keroro dodged out of the way of this and gave a yelp. A poor tree was singed as a result of this shot. This wasn't exactly Giroro's first rodeo with a glass-like dome covering… But he could have protected Natsumi, the last time.

"It just keeps going down, Goucho!" Tamama huffed from the pit he'd dug.

Giroro watched as Dororo slid down the top of the dome and back onto the ground. His sword in hand, he looked equally annoyed.

The group stood toward the back of the school, the nightfall blanketing them from any eyes and looks. The construction worker uniforms didn't really make them stand out, either.

"There's no entrance…" Dororo sheathed his sword and sighed. "And I can't sense Koyuki-dono, as I usually do… That makes this even more worrisome!"

"…And all of those kids are in cram schools or clubs, so no one's missing them, yet…" Giroro muttered. "Dororo, do you think Lupapa might know how to break through this?"

"I… Let me try the other side!" Dororo glanced away, and began the run up the invisible half-dome once again.

The scratching continued and Natsumi sat there on the bed, her arms folded. Haruki stood in the lobby of the nurse's office, folders laid out before him, with each student's medical information on it. He looked down at it, pacing.

"…Koyuki-chan's out there and it's dark…" she muttered, bringing her knees up to her chin.

"...Hey…" Haruki stood up from his files, hopping over them and walking over to Natsumi. "She's tough! She'll be fine."

"That doesn't matter!" Natsumi snapped. "She's still out there!"

"…I… I get it…" he took a seat on the floor beside the cots and sighed. "...Trust me. I know what it's like to worry about someone all of the time like this…. My dad, he-"

"Shut up, Bill Dodger," she gripped onto the stiff white fabric covering the cot, and then hopped to her feet. "And help me with this…"

She began to strip the sheets off, and tossed them onto Haruki, not stopping despite his calls for her to do so.

"What're you doing, anyway?" Haruki rose to his feet, sheets still in his arms.

"Not sitting down and taking that!"

"As an American, I'd normally be right with you on that… But… I've seen these movies, plenty of times, and they look like the type who can run…."

Natsumi gripped him by the tie and glared, "…You do this or I'll tell everyone that you're a fake poor person."

His mouth twitched, "You wouldn't…."

"And I'll tell them you're a fake idiot, too."

"…You play a dirty game," he sighed, and she let go of the tie, and gave a grin of satisfaction. "Now let's get these cut up!"

"…You do that… I've got an idea…" Haruki answered, glancing to the supply closet door.

The group on the ground stood around the school, encircling the single lit window. Giroro and the group, from a distance, watched this, too.

"I don't see anyone, Goucho…" Tamama set down the binoculars and sighed.

"She's got to be in there! There's just no way she'd be like that, too!" Giroro snapped, pointing to the mob.

"….Koyuki-dono…." Dororo whispered to himself, thinking back to his friend. Or, at least as long as he could before there suddenly came a crash from inside the lit room, raining down a parade of glass on the students.

"Is that….?" Tamama raised his binoculars in disbelief. Keroro stepped over and placed a hand on his subordinate's shoulder.

"Indeed it is. A warehouse-grade floor sweeper," Keroro answered, sounding, amongst everything else, a bit envious. "…I've been wanting one of those for months."

The machine, black and yellow, took off as soon as it hit the ground, tearing through the grass and dirt, and this drew the attention of the zombie students.

"What in the hell is going on….?" Giroro muttered.

"Haha! All right!" Haruki clapped his hands together excitedly as he watched the cleaning equipment take off. "I knew the extra weight on top would balance it! I drove a car over a cliff doing that on a dare once, you know that?!"

"Just climb!" Natsumi huffed, tossing down the white sheets, tied together tightly to form an escape rope. She hopped off without a moment's hesitation, while Haruki looked down, surveying it all. She was already halfway down before she glared up at him to follow and his did so, but not before looking up to the sky in hopes his grandmother was watching this to support him, and not wait for him to join her.

He had gotten a few feet down when he suddenly felt the handmade rope give way, and as he tumbled down, Natsumi's ninja friend looked down at him, dagger in hand.


	82. Natsumi & Haruki: School Invasion! Pt2

HAPPY ACTUAL UPDATE, EVERYBODY!  
WEEEEEEE!

Episode 40  
Natsumi and Haruki: The School Invasion!  
PART 2

"N-Natsumi!" Giroro balked, watching his beloved redhead fall.

"K-Koyuki-dono!" Dororo was equally horrified by Koyuki's presence.

"And Kii-chii's pet Pekoponian!" Keroro added.

"Tamama!" Giroro barked, and the subordinate shot his head in the direction of his superior, only to be tossed a small utility shovel. "Start digging!"

The red soldier, himself, started to dig underneath the dome with his bare hands. Tamama looked to Keroro, then to Giroro and now Dororo, and then to Keroro. The sergeant only held up his hands in acceptance, and then found a stick to begin digging with. And Tamama joined in the line of the soldiers digging.

Natsumi landed with a grunt on her feet, and she spun around as she heard Haruki land with a grunt in the bushes.

"Bill Dodger!" she called out.

"I'm fine!" a single hand shot up, and Haruki struggled out from the dark plants, and stood, his doctor's coat now torn and his glasses bent and tilted. "I… Ow… Think I pulled something…"

Koyuki landed in between the two, with an unparalleled grace, dagger still in her hand.

"Koyuki-chan!" Natsumi yelped as she watched the ninja girl wordlessly, with, of all things, a tiny grin on her face, spun around and jabbed the knife toward Haruki. This slashed the stunned man's tie, and he fell back into the bushes.

"Knock that off, Koyuki-chan!" Natsumi shrieked, and gripped on to the girl from around the waist. Koyuki only pushed her down to the ground without a thought, and Natsumi gave a yelp as she fell to the dirt.

She didn't take this sitting down in the dirt, however. After a stunned moment, the ninja girl had he feet kicked out from underneath her, while Natsumi looked on, a mixture of angry and reluctant.

"Don't make me fight you, Koyuki-chan! Especially for the Bill Dodger's sake!" Natsumi called out. The ninja girl didn't hear, however. She either didn't hear—Or didn't care.

She swung her dagger towards Natsumi, but she, in return, lifted up a leg to block her. Koyuki jumped up into the air, flipping and landing behind her, and Natsumi spun around, quickly, her hands raised into defensive fists.

Haruki, meanwhile, noticed that the students seemed to be drawing closer to the fight, and to Natsumi, beginning to form a tight circle around her.

He thought for a moment, and then pulled off his white lab coat, and began to wave it around.

"Hey! You don't want her! Come and get me if you want someone to raise hell with!" Haruki called out to them, followed by clapping and whistling. "I can take all of you! She's just a bratty little kid! She can't do crap! I lived in America! We had guns! I've got a gun right now!"

"HEY! Bill Dodger! Watch it!"

"What!? I'm trying to save you!"

"Well! Ugh! I don't need it!" she grunted, while blocking a punch from Koyuki.

"….You always did like to raise hell, Haruo," a voice came behind him, and Haruki jumped, and then stopped waving his lab coat around, and turned around. The nurse… She was there… And looked surprisingly calm for someone who was being surrounded by zombie children. Or vampires. The jury was still out, to Haruki, but he was leaning slightly more towards zombies.

"Haruo?" Haruki straightened up, also having forgotten about the shuffling masses of students and now, joining faculty, who climbed out through an opened door, momentarily. Even the staff were beginning to join in the circle, all while Haruki stood there, stunned by hearing his father's name.

"You forgot about me, already?" she gave a sneer, and gripped the chart she had under one of her arms. Haruki watched as it cracked, and he grew even more concerned.

She changed, then. It wasn't just the calmness… It was how she stood… She appeared taller, slimmer. Her eyes had darkened, her skin had paled. Her limbs looked longer, along with her neck… Her neck looked especially longer. And as she sneered, he could make out through her lips a full row of sharp teeth.

"How many of us did you forget about, Haruo?"

"I-I-I don't know? …H-How many were there…?"

"Counting all of my sisters?"

"Oh my God…" Haruki slapped his forehead. "S-Seriously? Dad, you massive wh-"

"Bill Dodger! I take it back! I could use some of that help, now!" Natsumi growled. Her fight with Koyuki had intensified, and Natsumi was starting to wear, whereas Koyuki had barely broken into a sweat.

"I thought you di—Coming! In just a second!" Haruki shot his head to Natsumi, and then back to the nurse. "You think I'm Haruo?"

"Don't play stupid, you are him!" she snapped in return, and slammed down the chart. In made a nice-sized, square shaped hole in the ground. Haruki knew when he arrived home, if he made it alive, he'd be shouting at his ancestor's shrine. Specifically, at his father's photograph…. He would lay it face down and Haruo Suzuyama would be lucky if his picture frame was ever even dusted once again.

"I took me years to track you down… And now I finally have…" she stepped forward, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "…You moving away made it more difficult… But when I saw you…. I knew it couldn't be coincidence. Fate had finally given me something to smile about again."

"L-Listen, I'm not—"

She bent down and kissed him, and Haruki froze. Natsumi, even for a moment, stopped. In anger, she broke from fighting Koyuki a moment, lifted up shoe she had stepped out of during her fight, and threw it at the back of Haruki's head.

"Don't be like that! GAH! Koyuki-chan!" she yelped, dodging out of the way of Koyuki's attack.

"I've come to bring you home with me. As it should have been. You didn't need Zawa… Soyo… Byuu… Potsu… Pushu…."

"T-Those were all—"

"Of my sisters, yes…"

"T-Those were just your sisters?!" his voice cracked. Horror overcame his noticing that the students, the teachers, the faculty—the entire mob-had stopped their shuffling, and stood still in place.

Around this time Koyuki, too, stopped fighting, and although she was grateful, Natsumi was now concerned by the blank expression her friend drew.

"Koyuki-chan?" she started to shape the girl's shoulders as soon as she caught some of her breath. "K-Koyuki-chan!?"

"I know I can't be like Gan. She was as good a companion to you as she was a friend to me. But… Please. I didn't come all of this way to be turned away…" she looked over his shoulder, and her expression hardened at the sight of Natsumi. She removed her hands from his shoulders, and took a few light, long steps over to the young redheaded girl. "…What's this?"

"S… She's…"

"You need to change Koyuki-chan and everyone back, you old hag!" Natsumi spat. "I don't know what you did, but undo, and undo it right now!"

In response, the woman lifted up a long, bony, clawed hand, with what Haruki thought could be in the intent to slap Natsumi… Or even leave her with a deep gash. And he wasn't far off, as she raised it over her head.

Haruki interceded in between the two, and yelled, "She's my daughter!"

And then the nurse-alien stopped. And slowly lowered her hand, "Your…"

"R-Right!" he dropped his raised arms, and sighed. "So you can't hurt her. Don't you dare lay a hand on her. I don't care what we did, in the past If you hurt her, I swear.…. I… If you do care about me… Like you're telling me you do… Change them back, and stop whatever it is you're doing and just… Change them back."

The side of her slit of a mouth twitched, and she sighed, her head drooped, "…Very well…. I—"

"NATSUMI!" Giroro shouted, while Haruki yelped. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the red soldier there, covered in dirt—As was the rest of the platoon that had showed.

"Get down, Suzuyama-san!" Tamama called out, knocking Haruki onto the ground, and standing atop his back while he prepared a Tamama impact.

"Koyuki-dono!" Dororo stopped short of the ninja girl. "Koyuki-dono, wake up! We've come to rescue you!"

"Natsumi-dono, are you all right?!" Keroro followed from behind. Natsumi, without as much turning around to face him, gripped him by the top of the head, like a lively and very puzzled bowling ball.

"These are mine and Papa's servants, so don't hurt them, either!" Natsumi called out, holding up a squirming Keroro in front of the strange woman. "They can't help that they're idiots…"

"….Keronians…" the woman said with a plain glare, looking over Keroro. "…Now this is asking a lot…."

"At least get him off of me, before anyone does anything else!" Haruki grunted, pointing up to Tamama.

"We had a gas leak, is all!" Natsumi reassured them, followed up by holding up a receipt—A quickly drawn up piece of paper, rushed over from Kururu. "Suzuyama-sensei's checked everyone out! it's all right, really!"

Calling him "Suzuyama-sensei" about killed her—But she still managed to do it to make it look believable to the teachers. The principal nodded. They'd keep it quiet, he said, since no one was injured and a doctor had checked all of them out. This was possibly due to his wanting to avoid a confrontation with parents, but probably more importantly, believe that this was exactly what had happened. Any other explanation would have just been too strange.

Koyuki gave a knowing glance to Natsumi—And Natsumi, briefly, returned this. And this was followed by a grin of relief from both. She knew better. And Natsumi reached out and patted Koyuki's hand, and the ninja girl gave a small start—Followed by a sneeze.

"I… I guess I've still got a little bit of a cold, after all!" she chuckled.

"Hey, senpai? Where is Suzuyama Sensei, anyway?" asked another student, and the others began to look around, as well. "I've got a little bit of a cut, and I wanted him to take a look at it and see if there's anything I should do with it."

"He… Had some other work to get to…" Natsumi answered, after a moment of thinking.

The woman sat on the top of the roof, the unsure of what to say to her. She sat beside him, in her nurse's outfit, still. Underneath them stood a puzzled student body, and the teachers and staff, included, all clutching their heads and looked around, confused. They wandered around, while Keroro's platoon watched from a distance. The barrier was gone. The brainwashed haze was gone. And the students, including Koyuki, were all back to normal.

"…Do you remember this?" she passed a photo to Haruki, a serene smile on her face. He took the faded, torn photo, and studied it for a moment.

He was briefly stunned…. Like having cold water thrown on him. But… Then… It all made sense, he thought. He'd just never thought too hard about it. Or maybe, just maybe, the possibility was way too weird—Even for him.

"Hey… I… I… There's something you've gotta know…." he sighed, and handed it back to her. "I'm—"

"HARUKI!" he heard in a shriek—A very familiar shriek. He turned around, and there was Kirere on her bike, zooming towards him. She had barely parked it on the roof when she hopped off of it and clutched on to him around the neck, while the strange woman looked on, puzzled. "I… I… Papa told me, and then Lavie-san started getting worried, and, and, and….!"

"H-Hey, I'm okay! I'm tough, remember? Hey, you're out way after your bedtime, aren't you?"

"I don't care," she muttered into his suit jacket.

"Listen," he pulled her off, gently, and they smiled. "I'm okay. I think you're the one who's going to be in trouble if you don't get home before somebody notices. Now you've seen me, I'm okay, and I'm here, all right? I'm okay, kiddo… I'm okay…"

Kirere wiped her eyes and nodded, and gave him one last quick embrace, before climbing on her bike again, and sped off. This wasn't lost upon Giroro, who watched this from the bushes, and immediately bolted off after his daughter, meeting, or even surpassing, her speed.

"…Haruki?" she repeated, glancing to Haruki. He sighed and untied his ponytail.

"I'm not…. I'm not Haruo…." he didn't have to look at her to know how the expression her face had changed. She was confused, and he didn't blame her. "Haruo… Was my dad. He… He died, about a year ago, now."

"…What…. He…. He died? But…. Humans don't die that young, do they?"

Haruki glanced to her, "He was in his eighties… But… Even then, he probably could've gone another forty years if he hadn't gotten sick."

"I… I only knew that his wife died."

"Yeah. I went to go stay with my grandma, after that, her mom…"

"She was kind," she muttered, her eyes falling.

"…I know. I'm sorry I tricked you. I just wanted to get you to calm down, and…. I didn't want to tell you that he…. You just looked so hopeful…. I broke enough hearts when I was younger, I'm not exactly proud of that so I don't exactly like saying stuff like that to people."

She stood, and sighed, "…This wasn't a waste of time for me, but… I still feel as though I've wasted yours."

"…Can you tell me about how my dad got to know you guys?" he gingerly stood up next to her, and undid what was left of his necktie, stuffing this in one of his pockets.

"We were one of his first forays, in the Grant Initiative. He was one of the first backers, after it was founded as a proper organization… We don't know how he found about it, why he joined it, or who deep he was in… But when we needed him, he was there… "

"….You guys aren't aliens, are you?"

"….No. While Mrs. Grant was focused on creatures from other planets, Haruo made sure not to forget about us. To remember that we needed some help, too. So while she focused on the skies, he turned his focus to the earth. We never knew why, but he was always incredibly driven to help us."

Haruki smirked, "…So you're a yokai. Hehe, and he always told me those were just fairytales, not to go believing in you guys… Somehow, I'm a little more impressed with a yokai than an alien, even… Maybe that's because I grew up hearing about them like they were my bedtime stories."

"He probably just didn't want you in the life, was all. No one could blame him. He helped raised a doctor, after all, so he must have done something right."

"I... I'm not… I mean, a lot of times, I'm not… I just went to school for it, is all."

She stood, and took hold of his hand, "…This is good-bye, from me, now… I saw you looked upset when I said you sounded like Haruo. You shouldn't. Because… For all of his faults, he was a good man who saved more people than he probably took credit for. He even saved me. And… While I never got to thank him, myself, I'm glad I'm able to let you know."

"…Heh. Kinda glad he isn't here to hear that. The old man's ego would've probably eclipsed."

"Take this," she passed him the photograph again, and he gave her a surprised glance.

"But…"

"I don't need it. I got to see Haruo again. And I got to see even more than that," she answered in a whisper.

She rushed down the building as if it was nothing, and then, the tiny woman in the shredded white nurse's outfit was gone into the woods—Probably to the mountains, where the yokai all lived, now, Haruki thought.

"Suzuyama!" Rokiki barked from the front desk, "You got a visitor—Want me to buzz them in?"

"Huh?" Haruki looked up from his daze, and hit his head on the opened trunk of the car. He gave a mild curse, stopping himself short as he watched Kirere's puzzled expression, and hobbled over to the front desk. "Sure… Shouldn't you be hiding, though?"

"Not necessary," Rokiki nodded as Natsumi walked through the door, a large fruit basket in her arms. She tossed it on the desk, and it landed with a heavy thud.

"…It's from the school," she answered as he examined it, stunned into silence. "To… Thank you for looking after everyone, while they were passed out from that gas leak…"

"What about this?" he pulled out a long dagger from the back of it.

"That's from Koyuki-chan," Natsumi sighed. "…I have to get to practice. The soccer team needs someone to fill in and I can't be gone long, but the fruit would've gone bad…"

"…Yeah," he smirked, and picked up an apple. "Hey…"

"Neh?"

"…You're O negative blood?" he shrugged at the odd turn of her head, and he sighed. "…Me, too. That's why you didn't get hypnotized, either… She must've controlled people based on that… I dunno how, but I went through and noticed it while I was looking through the files."

"Great. So we're even closer. Quit saying smart things, it doesn't really suit you," she sighed, and headed out the door. She popped her head in once, though, and called out to him. "Hey! Don't be rude and just throw away the card, either! "

And then she was gone for good.

"Hey! I'm a Bill Dodger, but I have manners!" Haruki called out, even though he knew it was in vain.

"Hrm…. Wonder if I could dip a plum in some chili sauce…" Kirere muttered after she climbed up onto the counter and examined the different fruits. "A chili in plum sauce is good, so that should work, too, right?"

"…Okay, I'll go grab you some…" Rokiki sighed, and jumped off of his stool.

"Really?!" Kirere gasped.

"Yeah, yeah, got it…. Don't worry about it," he huffed and walked out, into Haruki's apartment, and Kirere tilted her head to a side.

"He's been acting weird lately, Haruki…." she muttered, and looked to her friend. "Huh? Haruki?"

He finished reading the letter, and gave a small chuckle, "…Guess she's not so cold, after all…."

"Haruki? Don't you start, too!"

"Eh? Start what, kiddo?"

"Acting weird. Don't you think he's acting weird?"

"Could just be another step in the program he's doing, kiddo," Haruki reassured her with a smile, and placed this folded note up on the tack board, beside the front desk. And next to this, he tacked up the old photo the yokai woman had given him. It was old, and faded, and Kirere immediately recognized one of people in the photo.

"Grandpa looks just like you!" she exclaimed, pointing out Haruo on the nondescript tropical beach, and Haruki smirked.

"Yeah… Could've done worse…" he admitted.

"Hey, who's the lady next to him?"

"Which one? The one with the dark hair? That's… That's my mom."

"She's so pretty!"

"Yeah…. Yeah, she was…."

"How about the other lady?"

"Eh, that was one of my dad's old bosses, I think… Lisa, or something…" he shrugged. "Come on, kiddo, let's finish up that engine!"

"Right!" she giggled, and allowed him to lift her up from the top of the desk. "I can do that while I wait for my chili sauce!"

Haruki looked over his shoulder to the letter and photo once more, and saw part of the letter hanging open. And it only said one word, written in English small, but still there.

'THANKS'

"Now you are beautiful, if you don't mind my saying!" Fujuju leaned on the kitchen counter and layered over the top of the frosted cake once more, smoothing out the butter cream. He stood there, perched on top of a barstool, and grinned widely, wiping his hands on his apron. "Now just to get you decorated… And watch all of the other pare—Adults at the children's bake sale be green with envy…. Not that… That sort of competition interests me… But it looks good for them. Now what would you like? Maybe some coconut shavings and some cherries would compliment you nicely! That'd do the trick, right there!"

He climbed down from his stool, at first ignorant to the sounds he heard, but soon not able to ignore them.

"…Botan….?" he muttered, forsaking the cake briefly to wander into his bedroom. No sign of her. And then, after a few more false leads, he stepped into the infants' room, and found he on the floor, her hair covering her eyes.

He immediately dropped to his knees in front of her and frowned, pushing the hair away, "…Whatever are you crying for, love? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, and he inched in closer, until he was seated underneath her, "…Oh, something set you on the telley again… Those sad animal commercials….? You know, there's a way to fast forward through those…."

She only embraced him, and he patted her on the arm and sighed, "…It's all right. You don't have to tell me. There, there…. I'm here."


	83. Kirere: Kirere and her Family Pt1

Woot! Another update. Yayyy. :3 I feel like I'm now just in a homestretch run, haha. Sad and exciting at the same time. Starting to tie up some stuff, like… Well, you'll see. Please enjoy!

Episode 41  
Kirere: Kirere and her Family  
Part 1

"All done, Natsumi-dono," Keroro sighed with relief. The living room now shown and glistened from its deep cleaning—A fine change from earlier in the morning, when it had been covered with a thick purple gunk.

"Now this," she held up her shredded backpack, and Keroro 's shoulders fell. "Well, you shouldn't have given Fuyuki and me lunches that would kill us! It wrecked the living room and then ate my homework! I can't go explaining that to a teacher!"

"…A slight oversight, Natsumi-dono…" Keroro chuckled, wringing his hands together, having set aside the broom and dustpan—The same one that had been used to clean up the mess Fuyuki's lunch had made when it came to life. Natsumi's had done the very same, transforming from a slightly purple goulash to…. Something incredibly purple and downright ghoulish. And it'd wreaked havoc through the Hinata house, paying special attention to the living room—Havoc Keroro had to clean up while Natsumi ran a small errand.

He got to work on looking over the leather, suitcase-style backpack when he became just as alarmed as Natsumi did by a sudden, purposeful knocking on the door. The redheaded girl looked to the alien, and he needed no invitation to run and hide behind a couch and wait until the coast was clear again.

Cautiously, she opened the door and looked out—Only to be greeted with nothing but a view of the neighbor's house across the street. And then, she looked down, and saw Garuru staring back up at her. He straightened his posture, like the good military man he was, and cleared his throat.

"Good afternoon. Is Giroro in?"

"H-He wants to do WHAT with us?!" Giroro sat by his fire pit, his gun still in his hand. but having been forsaken from its polishing some time ago. Garuru sat on a cinder block beside him, a grave look on his face. "S-Since when's he been into that sort of thing like bonding?!"

"I didn't think he was… But maybe he's gotten sentimental in his old age," Garuru suggested, and Giroro merely snorted. "All I know is that he wants Kirere to come along to meet him. It's about time he did, anyway, isn't it? She's never met her grandfather, and he has a right to get to see his only grandchild."

"I-I… I suppose so… But…. All I can think back to is how he bonded with us, when we were her age."

"It wasn't all that bad."

"For us. This is Kirere, Nee-chan. What if he wants to bond the same way?"

Garuru was silent. He was silent for a long while. As was Giroro, both reliving a memory that was better described as a traumatic happening in their minds.

"…She got a cold and was too ill to visit."

"She can't get colds," Giroro sighed.

"What?"

"Long story," Giroro waved him off and then went back to thinking. "Maybe if she was busy with her own mission?"

Garuru's glasses reflected the setting sunlight, "Or some mandatory training…."

"Dad! Dad!" the little girl in question rushed out from the glass doors, running excitedly towards him, as she often did when she returned from working in Haruki's junkyard, "I'm going camping! O-Ojiisama!? When did you get here?!"

She passed by Giroro and immediately clutched on to Garuru, giggling as she embraced him around the neck.

"Wait? Camping? How's that?" Giroro tilted his head.

"Rokiki offered to take me when I told him I hadn't really been before!"

"….Perfect," said the two brothers to each other.

"This is great you're coming, too!" Kirere said happily as she balanced her large backpack on her shoulders. Giroro nodded, giving a wave as she looked back to him and Garuru, who hiked side-by-side. Rokiki took up the front of the pack, wearing the smallest backpack and making the best time, walking stick in hand as they trekked through the red, orange, and yellow forests.

"But did I really have to come, too, kukuku?" the extra baggage strapped to Giroro's gear chuckled.

"Yes," Giroro snapped, reaching back with his own walking stick and positioning it over Kururu's head, "and it's bad enough you're having me do this. Quit complaining or I won't hold back."

"Now, now, dear, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled.

"D-Don't talk like that!" Giroro snapped, resuming his walk alongside his brother.

"…Such a nice family outing, kuku!"

"…So what reason did Rokiki give for suddenly wanting to do this?" Garuru asked Kirere, having caught up to the little girl and now walking only a few steps behind her.

She turned around to face them, making cautious steps backwards as she spoke, "Something about…. I guess this would've been a holiday or something when he lived back on Keron? He asked if I wanted to go, and he said I could bring Dad and P—Kururu Ojiisan along, too!"

"…That still doesn't make sense…." Garuru muttered under his breath, and glanced to Giroro. His brother thought similar, and both looked ahead to Rokiki.

"…Really now? It's like I'm the only one who bothers to read the end of a book, kukuku!"

Kirere had caught up with Rokiki, and walked only a small distance from him, looking up to him quietly. He seemed like a different person from Haruki's shop, or even from his house. Something about him seemed calmer. It was like when her dad cleaned his guns, or her papa created rows of code on the computer. He just seemed "home", to her.

"…They didn't control the seasons on Keron when I was little…." Rokiki finally said to her, noticing the falling leaves. "…It was supposed to be good news for us, when they finally did. No more having to fight off cold weather to find food… I always missed them a little bit, though, I guess…."

"So the seasons just stopped one day?"

"No… Someone just told them that they all had to be the same one," he answered, stopping as they came to a deep creek. "This'll be a good place to set up the tents."

It was only then Kirere noticed Rokiki's free hand shaking. He frowned at this and compensated by using it to lean on a tree.

"…Reminds me of boot camp," Giroro said thoughtfully as he unrolled his sleeping bag. Setting up camp for him was just as easily as moving his tent from the back yard and onto another part of Pekopon. The sun was setting already as he did so, and while he did this, Garuru went to making the fire. Kirere picked up some kindling, Rokiki was down by the stream—And Kururu had found the lone wifi hot spot in the woods.

"Isn't this one great?!" Kirere exclaimed, running up to Garuru with a large leaf. All the soldier saw was the large spider crawling across its front, out of sight from the young girl.

"….I'll hold on to that while you find more," he held out his hand, and accepted it from his niece. And when she had gone a safe distance from him, he flung it as far as he could away from the campsite.

"Here you go," Rokiki held up his haul, a large, silvery fish up on a line of rope. "This should be enough, right?"

"….It was a good night to bring an emergency ration, kuku!" Kururu chuckled, glancing over to his cup of instant curry.

Giroro sighed and picked up his hunting knife. At the same time, though, he kept his eyes on Rokiki—And then glanced to Garuru. While he and his brother were rarely on the same page, this seemed to be one time where they might be thinking the exact same thing.

What exactly was Rokiki's motive for all of this?

"Hey, Mora, where's Rokiki at?" Chandi sat cross-legged in the living room, seated at a low table across from Mora. She'd recently finished with her schoolwork, and was now focusing on a science fiction show on the television. Mora occasionally looked up at it, gave a roll of the eyes, and resumed her correspondence with her potential clients.

"He went out camping, I think," the Maronian replied cheerfully, looking up from her laptop to her daughter. "He said Kirere-chan had been asking about it, and no one could really take her. It's nice to see him getting out of the house more…"

"I… I guess…. Hey… You know I'm not interested, right?" Chandi sighed, leaning on the table and tapping on the screen of her mother's laptop.

"Hrm? Interested in what? Is this about cheerleading again? You know I'm all right that you don't want to…"

"No. This," Chandi retrieved a book from her backpack and laid it on the table. "I found it in the kitchen this morning and I thought about burning it, but then I saw it was checked out from the library. You're my mom. As far as I know, you're my only parent. While I'm grateful someone took the trouble to have me, you're the one who raised me. I don't have anyone I want to reconnect with. I'm just interested in the mysteries in the universe… Not stuff like this."

"I haven't checked out any books from the libraries here," Mora shook her head, and turned it to read over the title. Connections: Building Bonds with Reunited Family.

"…Wait. So… That's not yours?" Chandi inquired slowly.

"…No."

"And it's not mine, so…."

Both mother and daughter looked at each other at the same time, and Mora sighed and stood.

"…I'm going to be calling long distance. You wouldn't mind keeping it quiet?"

"Only if you ignore me eavesdropping."

Mora rubbed her temples and sighed once again.

"This is so good!" Kirere exclaimed, taking another bite from the fish. Garuru pounded his chest to work his bite of fish, and Giroro coughed, downing another bit of the heavily seasoned fish. Both took turns drinking from the same canteen.

"It's been a while since I've made it…" Rokiki admitted, tossing aside another bone and looking up to the heavy-starred sky. "…View was different, then."

"I think you should make it more!" Kirere exclaimed.

"Meh…" Kururu pushed his, still lying out on a metal plate, away with his foot, while he remained fixed to his computer, typing away on it occasionally, but mainly watching the screen and giving a giggle now and again.

"I need to go get some more wood for the fire…." Rokiki stood, tossing aside his final fishbone.

"I'll go with you," Giroro bolted to his feet, quick enough to catch all by surprise, including Rokiki. The tattooed Keronian thought for a moment, then nodded, and allowed Giroro to follow.

"What are you watching, anyway?" Garuru asked, turning to Kururu.

"Oh, just a favorite soap opera of mine. Kuuuuukuku!"

"A-All right? Is my sound working properly now?"

"We can't hear you! Turn your mic on mute, dude!"

"…Where's…. Hrm… Bloody… Now? Now am I all right?"

"Finally!" Mahihi huffed, and Fujuju gave a self-satisfied smile as he sat on his couch, his laptop in front of him. Mahihi was in his Keronian form, as well, seated on one of his children's booster seats in his computer in the kitchen, still tired from the time zone differences. And in between them was Mora, on a third screen, on her own laptop. "So what's up, pretty lady? Something's going on with Roki, you said?"

"If… That's the case, I'm wondering why I was asked to be present, as I'm not particularly one of his… Well… Favorite individuals. Did you need some references to psychiatrists, perhaps?"

"I found Fujuju-san's name and number in a book Rokiki was reading…."

"He reads?" Fujuju and Mahihi asked in unison, with equal surprise.

Mora held up the book, and Fujuju gave a small yelp.

Mahihi leaned back in his seat, "Ohhhhhhhh…. Man, I… I gotta make some coffee for this. This is too late in the night for this to not have some caffeine shooting through my veins."

"No! I… I need you to tell me…" Mora exclaimed. "Is he…. He's related to Kirere-chan, isn't he? That's why he looks so much like Giroro-san?"

"It was a long time ago," Mahihi held up his hands. "And he only dated her, like, a week. I don't even remember her name. She was a total rebound. There's no feelings there, I swear."

All this while, as Mora's expression twisted from desperation to shock, Fujuju was giving subtle, and, later on, not as subtle gestures for Mahihi to stop.

"…What do you mean, "her"? I thought Rokiki was Kirere-chan's uncle," Mora muttered. "…Are you saying… He's her…?"

Mahihi bit his lower lip, and said nothing. Fujuju gave a dry gulp at this, and drummed his fingers on the laptop keyboard.

"…I can't stress how much of a rebound this chick really was," Mahihi added, holding up his hands. "You… You okay, over there?"

"Mora?" Fujuju asked weakly. "I… Only realized myself, recently. I'm so sorry for not saying anything to you. I felt that it wasn't my place to bring something so delicate into your family without allowing him to be the one to do it."

"I… I need to go find him…" she shut down her laptop, and only briefly made eye contact with Chandi, who sat on the couch, stunned. "I need to go find him!"

The door open, and slammed shut, and Chandi's gaze returned to the book on the coffee table, and she reached forward and picked it up.

"What was that?" Rokiki stopped, and Giroro thought for a moment, listening to the small squeaking sound.

"…Bats," he answered, and the two resumed walking. "They've nothing to worry about, I've been reassured… Now what's your game here, exactly, Rokiki?"

"What are you talking about? We're getting some firewood…."

"Not that," Giroro snapped. "…With this trip. What exactly is it all about?"

"She wasn't getting out nearly enough, I thought. She's in there all the time with Suzuyama or following around your gang with some stupid little stunt. I felt bad for her."

"She gets out plenty!" Giroro snapped, punching into a nearby tree. It was clear that a very distinct—And very strong—Nerve had been hit. And the tree was suffering for it.

"No one should be THAT excited if they're seeing trees everyday!"

"She gets excited for everything. It… It's just who Kirere is."

"She was a super-soldier and she can't even use a gun properly. You're wasting her potential by letting her play around like she's a child."

"She IS a child!" Giroro growled. "Where in the hell are you getting off telling me this, all of a sudden?!"

"Because…." Rokiki took in a deep breath, and turned. "I—"

A crunching from the nearby leaves, suddenly, interrupted him, "What was that?"

"Probably another bat…."

"They. Don't. Walk."

"….Then what was that?" Rokiki muttered, removing a knife he'd kept concealed underneath his hat.

…There was a deep growl, and Rokiki and Giroro shared in a sudden, high-pitched, terrified shriek.

This caused both Garuru and Kirere to shoot their heads up. Kururu, briefly, looked up from his laptop, and then returned to the screen, "…Looks like the fun's all done."

"Did you hear that?" Kirere whispered, drawing close to her uncle. "It sounded like a little kid screaming…."

"That was your father…" Garuru muttered, and Kirere gripped onto his arm. "…And that must have been Rokiki with him… Kirere, you stay here, I'm going to check it out."

"No way. If they're screaming like that, I'm not leaving you!" Kirere exclaimed, not letting up on the grip on his arm.

"…All right, come on," he nodded, and she bolted up from her place on the log, and followed him closely.

"Wait!" she called out, letting go of him briefly and rushing away. And when she returned, she was holding on to Kururu's hand. And in the Keronian's free hand was a video camera.

"Kuku! It could be Bigfoot, after all," Kururu chuckled.

"…Let's go," Garuru's visor glinted against the campfire light, and the three ventured into the deep darkness, in search of the screaming Keronians.

"Maybe this trip was worth it, after all, kuku!"


	84. Kirere: Kirere and her Family Pt2

All right! Next part, woo. Oddly enough, the reason this is out so early is it was a requested birthday gift for a friend. And… How can you say "no" to that? X'D So, happy birthday, Rien! Hope it's a good one—Sorry this isn't Community, but hopefully it's still good!

Episode 41  
Kirere: Kirere and Her Family  
Part 2

"Do you hear anything else?" Kirere whispered, and Garuru placed a finger up to her lips to silence her. He crept through the dark forest floor, the little girl at his side, and Kururu still holding on to his video camera, and showing no signs of stopping his recording.

Garuru took a few steps forward, and they came into a small clearing. The purple Keronian raised his head, and sniffed the air."…Eh? But… That can't be…" he whispered.

Kururu remained motionless, while Kirere immediately hopped back a few feet, as Garuru was knocked from his feet, and thrown against a nearby tree.

And of all things, as the little girl clung on to Kururu for dear life, she heard a deep, booming laughter.

A red Keronian stood before them, hands on his hips. Kirere knew it wasn't Rokiki, because he didn't have tattoos. And she knew it wasn't her father, either, because Giroro didn't smile—Much less laugh. Much less laugh as loudly and cheerfully as this Keronian before them.

"Hi, Dad…" Garuru coughed, slumped against the base of the tall, dented tree and clutching on to his chest.

"So little Keroro's little blue friend told me where you'd gone off to, and I figured I could make it like old times again, when we'd play in the woods together! You boys used to love that!" he laughed in the same, booming laugh Kirere had first heard.

Garuru clutched his pounding head, and Giroro finished off wrapping the bandage that led from his elbow all the way to his wrist, and Rokiki sat on the edge of the log with the two brothers, a cool canteen over his blackened eye.

"…Right…" Giroro muttered.

"So you're Kirere!" he gave a wide, sharp-toothed grin, and patted the young girl on the back gently. She sat next to him, on their own log, and Kirere gave a nervous smile, still not fully sure of the man. "Your Dad's told me all about you!"

"I… I did?" Giroro raised his head and whispered underneath his breath.

"Your handwriting's not that hard to mimic," Garuru answered seamlessly.

"E-EH?!"

"Apparently you like dolls, still, right? I never know with children, anymore. It's been so long since I've had any in my house, I forget what the young people are into, nowadays. I had to go and talk with Yokaka…. Considering Keroro was still into those things, before he left for the invasion, and that was a bit of help. Hopefully being here has gotten that out of his system…."

" D-Definitely!" Giroro straightened his posture and cleared his throat. "The invasion, as a matter of fact—"

His father waved him off, "We can talk about that another night. For tonight, let's unwind a little. The train ride was a long one, after all!" Giroro exhaled in relief as his father turned away, and Giroro could have very well the slightest chuckle emit from Garuru's throat.

"Is… Is this really for me?" Kirere's eyes widened as he pulled out an ornately dressed Keronian doll from the bindle at his side.

"Is it all right?" he asked, leaning down a little closer to the stunned young girl, who tugged at the lace skirt a bit and grinned.

"It's impossible to find in the market, and online!" she whispered, flipping to its back and then to the front of it again, just to be certain it was really, truly in her hands.

"Well, having a few friends in intelligence, still, has its advantages…."

"T-Thank you!" she embraced him, and, after a moment to letting his sink in, he returned this and grinned. "Now I can use my paychecks to buy those concert tickets!"

"Paychecks? Is that what they call an allowance here?" he frowned, breaking away from the hug and looking directly across to Giroro.

"She owns her own repair shop," Rokiki spoke up, removing the canteen from his eye. "She has a dense Pekoponian working for her."

"You're not slacking at all, are you? You know, your dad tried his own business when he was little! What was it, a train station? He had this cardboard box he'd strap on, and help other kids to cross the—"

"You can tell her another time, dad!" Giroro growled. Garuru, now, definitely gave a small chuckle, there was absolutely no mistaking it.

"Haha, another time, when I've got the pictures. That's impressive, though! You'll have to show me your little office while I'm here."

"I can show you our portfolio from last quarter, too!" she gasped excitedly, all the while hugging on to her doll tightly. "Rokiki-san said our revenue's doubled!"

"Rokiki?" he turned to the other red Keronian. "I don't think we've met before."

"It's all right, I was just leaving…" he said quietly, setting down the canteen and rising from his spot on the log.

"But this was your camping trip…" Kirere protested. "You can't just leave it!"

"What's another person? Kirere's uncle is here, too, after all!" Giroro's father pointed across to Kururu, who giggled from behind his spot at the video camera.

"And he's filming all of this. You should all hug. It would be cute, kukuku!"

"…Absolutely not," Giroro hissed.

But there he was—Drawn into a vortex of a hug created by none other than his father. Giroro and Garuru's astounded expressions were clear, even more so in the photo Kururu snapped.

"Now that's precious," Kururu grinned.

The morning was misty, and the mist brought with it a slight autumn chill. Kirere yawned and stretched as she woke up, still holding on to her doll with a force grip. Around her in her father's tent were her grandfather, both of her fathers, and her uncle. Rokiki was noticeably absent from the small corner of the cozy tent he'd chosen to take up during the night.

She gave another yawn and stretch, and stumbled out of the tent, stifling a yelp as she nearly tripped, and as she balanced herself, she found Rokiki sitting cross-legged at the edge of the creek.

"Can I sit here?" she asked quietly, and he didn't make any motion. She took this as an invitation, and sat cross-legged beside him. "….What're we supposed to be looking at, anyway?"

"…Just because there's something in front of you doesn't mean you were meant to look at something."

"…Is there a nothing we should be looking at, then?"

"…How about that mountain in the distance?"

"Okay!" this lasted for all of a few moments, before she was back to talking. "So what was the holiday about that we're on?"

"It doesn't matter… "

"Hey, I think I see a deer!" she hopped up and exclaimed, pointing proudly at the mountain.

Rokiki glanced at the mountain, and back to her, "…That's an old shack."

"It's still brown!"

"…It's blurry that far away, isn't it?"

"A little…" she lowered her hand. "That's not bad, is it?"

Her only answer came in the form of a small grunt from Rokiki.

"So there you are!" her grandfather called out, breaking the silence as he joined them at the riverbank. "I was hoping you and I could get some old-fashioned Pekoponian fishing in while I was here!"

Kirere looked to Rokiki, and then to her grandfather, and Rokiki waved his hand, "Go on… Have a good time. Catch something for our dinner. I noticed it's a little bit better, downstream…"

Her grandfather held up two rods, and she excitedly took one from him, and followed him close behind, as they headed further down the stream, per Rokiki's suggestion.

And he sighed and looked out at the lake, and the mountain, and the shed—The definitely not a deer shed. And for all of five moments he was at peace. Then, two blue hands shot out from the river water, and he was dragged underneath.

After a few moments of feeling like the life was being replaced in his lungs with murky water, he started to feel light-headed. And then he felt respite, in the form of a damp, but all the same, waterless patch. He looked up, coughing while doing so, and pulled off some of the river floor grass from him. And he stood shakily, and looked into Mora's eyes.

"…I'm guessing I'm going to prefer drowning over what's coming next…"

"What made you think that?"

"You would've formed a bubble earlier, if you'd been happy with me."

"You're lucky you have one now—You wouldn't if I didn't need to talk to you," she answered, her eyes flashing. He cringed at this, and wrung out the ear flaps from his helmet.

"Is this about the leak in the kitchen sink? I'll get to it later means not that exact moment, it means I'm going to get to it later!"

"Chandi found your book. About the families."

"..I… Was trying to reconnect with…"

"They're your grandchildren," she snapped, and crossed her arms as she remained floating over him and casting a deep, long shadow. "…That's right, isn't it?"

He looked down at the muddy ground, and lowered his head, "Mora… I'm sorry."

She said nothing. Mora's expression relaxed, and her arms unfolded. After a moment of standing there, looking down at him but daring not to make eye contact, she turned from him, and took a seat on the only semblance of furniture—a smooth rock—and made sure her back was kept turned to him. He sighed, and walked over, cautiously, and placed his hands on her shoulders, forgetting about the mud, and her not minding it.

"…I didn't think this would come back to hurt anybody. I was upset at the time, and I couldn't tell you anything about her except we dated for a week, and then I left for Pekopon the next week. We broke it off because I'd be gone for so long. I just… Didn't know it would be THAT long…." he gave her shoulders a small squeeze, and she turned around and embraced him.

"I wish you could have told me… Is… That why you drank…?"

"The main reason I did it was because I felt like a sorry bastard who didn't have anyone and didn't know what to do with myself… Now I'm a sorry bastard with so much family I don't know what to do with myself."

Mora reached over, and kissed him on the cheek, "You… You were never alone…"

"Meh. That's what I'm afraid of, now…"

"You'll love it, trust me."

"So you're not leaving me, I guess?"

"It's going to take getting used to, but… You didn't know. And if you'd known, back then… I know you would've done the right thing."

She took him by the hand, and led him out of the bubble, towards the top of the lake, this time allowing him to hold on to his breath. And when they surfaced, they faced Garuru and Giroro. Giroro stood with a stone in his hand, mid-throw, and Garuru looked absolutely haunted.  
"…Sound travels better in water, right?" Rokiki sighed.  
"…I think I heard something about that, but… That's impossible… Isn't it?"

"Kukuku!" Kururu giggled, and Giroro only turned around and growled. He had gone through the shocked faze… Now he steadily approached anger. He felt had, and Garuru standing there, not doing much aside from processing it all. Or maybe he wasn't… Maybe he was realizing that this had all made perfect sense, all along, and all it needed was a little confirmation.

"This isn't amusing in the least! And if you have that taped, I swear the only person who will ever see it is the one who manages to chip you out from underneath the rubble you'll be buried in. Now how long have you known, Rokiki?"

"I realized it before I left to go and get clean… That's one of the reasons I went to go get clean, anyhow," Rokiki muttered, looking above to the pair of brothers and the yellow devil. "Did a little research before I made any solid conclusions, though. I'm not asking for anything to change. You don't have to like me anymore because of it, considering we haven't gotten along the best, in the past."

"You're damned ri—"

"Lookit what I caught!" Kirere called out happily, showing off the small fish on the hook as she rushed up to the group. Everyone was quick to hide the adult problems aside, and put on their relaxed faces for the sake of the child. "That's the biggest one yet! Do you think we could mount it!?"

"Hrm?" Giroro and Garuru's father was immediately aware of Mora, and she nervously nodded her head. And for a silent moment, the entire Giroro clan sat at the campsite—A silent moment that ended up being broken by Kururu's faint giggle.

"My fiancée," Rokiki coughed, after receiving a nudge from Mora, the same one he always received when he was forgetting his manners. She nodded a hello, and Garuru and Giroro jerked their heads back, slightly as he leaned down and kissed her hand.

"Wonderful meeting you," he answered, and she gave a small, shy giggle in response to this.

"…Who are you?" Giroro finally asked, and his dad walked over, and patted Giroro on the back, the same as he always had—Just a little too roughly, just enough to jar up a few brain cells and showed that he cared.

"I've always been like this! That's how I got a catch like your mother, and you got a caught like Kirere's mother must have been!" he answered.

Kururu went to speak, and Giroro, out of sight, gripped a hand behind Kururu's neck, daring him to breath or even think of another word to go along with this.

"Hopefully Garuru can use some of that charm and give Kirere a cousin or two!" he now switched gears to the older brother of the two, and Garuru, who had faintly let out a chuckle, almost sounded as though he whispered a curse underneath his breath. "How about that nice girl in your platoon, what was it… You know, the one Keroro and you were friends with, Giroro…."

Came from both the brothers, horrified and in unison, "DAD. NO."

"My heart's had enough for one day…" Giroro muttered, meeting Rokiki's glance for a moment.

"Pururu-san might be a cool aunt…" Kirere said thoughtfully, looking upwards towards the sky.

"Or if she doesn't work out, I'm a matchmaker," Mora added.

"Perfect! When can you see him?"

"I just remembered I have to get to some important business back on Keron," Garuru stood and cleared his throat. "This has been… Enlightening."

"I can go back with you! And KIrere, if it's okay with Giroro," his father answered. It was such a long train ride back, thought Garuru… And now, it was longer. The man who made a living of putting up with a hearty helping of Taruru daily was finding himself breaking out in the slightest of cold sweats at this very prospect.

"Why don't you come along for the day, Giroro?" his father continued.

"E-Eh? I couldn't. I mean… There's a lot to get done here…." he was attempting to avoid Kirere's eyes, but found it of no use.

"Just one day?"

"Yeah—Just one?" Kirere chimed in.

"I… I suppose I could reschedule some appointments…." Giroro's shoulders fell.

"And Kururu Ojiisan can come for the day, too!" Kirere called out, looking past Giroro and Garuru to her "uncle". Kururu lowered his camera, and shut it off.

"He'd love to, but he's busy," Giroro replied.

"Actually I have nothing going on…. But what's new with that?"

You wouldn't, Giroro's eyes seemed to say. And Kururu's answered, through the thick glasses, that indeed he would. Giroro gave a sigh of resignation and nodded.

"All right! This is going to be great!"

"Getting to see senpai's room… Is my heart really ready for this?" Kururu whispered, so low that only Giroro would make out what he was saying.

"One off word and you'll be left at the first rest stop we come across along the way—The type with the warnings of space cobras," Giroro snapped. He then looked to Rokiki and Mora as he started to pack up camp with the rest of his family.

"Yeah, we'll get out of here…" Rokiki nodded.

"…I was going to say you should at least share the train ride with us…" Giroro answered, shuffling at the ground with his foot and looking down. The awkwardness of the entire thing was recognized… But Rokiki still nodded, and stood, taking Mora by the hand gently.

"We could use with the day trip…." he said to her quietly, and she nodded, and held on to his hand.

"I'll have Chandi stay at the Hinata house for the night… She'll understand… And… We'll all have a big talk when we get home," Mora whispered to him as they watched Kirere show off her doll to Garuru, who was doing his best to comprehend the importance of it. Whether or not he fully understood, they weren't sure—But he showed interest in her interest, all the same.

They'd packed, and they walked back in the same order they'd entered through the woods. So much was different, now… To most of them, anyhow. Giroro walked alongside his brother, and Kirere remained in front of them, this time next to her grandfather. And, in front of them all walked a grandfather, was well.

"He reminds me of you," Garuru finally said, when the brothers had gotten some distance from the group.

"Dad or… Jiisan…?" Giroro clenched his teeth as those words escaped his teeth.

"Both. And Kirere reminds me of Mom, some times. Don't you ever think that?"

"…Everyday," Giroro answered, after a pause.

"Just like we probably remind him of people from his past."

"What are you getting at, Garuru?"

"I don't think I would have been able to stay… Or come back," Garuru replied, watching Kirere play with his and Giroro's father as they headed home.

He'd never be able to view Rokiki that way, Giroro thought to himself, adjusting his bag from the heavy dead weight Kururu provided. He just wouldn't, no matter what message his brother was attempting to get across to him.

But… He'd been able to adjust to Pekopon, and Pekopian life. And being a father. So perhaps there was hope for this, as well.


	85. Lupapa & Dororo: Love Across Borders Pt1

Hey there! So, my writing plans didn't go as expected, had stuff going on. Not all bad stuff, though, I assure you. Just busy stuff. 'Tis the season. Just glad I can finally give you guys the update I (hope!) you've been looking forward to.

As always, I implore you—Please enjoy. : )

Episode 42  
Lupapa and Dororo: A Love Across Borders  
Part I

"One… Or two…?"

"Two."

"Two… Or three…?"

"Three. How much longer?" Kirere swung her feet back and forth on the large black chair in the darkened room, while Kururu sat, legs crossed, changing lenses on a large, many-eyed device. In the tiny room, a part of the medical facilities in the platoon's base, the young girl sat there, wriggling, as Kururu implored her to tell him which lens made the chart just a little easier to read.

"Kuku! That should be it."

"Great! So I can go back to listening to music now, right? …Right?" after he had lifted up the heavy metal device, she peered down at what he wrote on his chart, even though this was difficult to decipher. His handwriting was almost as bad as hers or Rokiki's.

"Is she done?" Giroro peered in, having seen a light switch on in the room, and this marked his impatience about equal with Kirere's.

"For now… Looks like that's another point for my side of the gene pool, Senpai, kuku!"

"H-Huh?" Kirere spun around, and again rushed to the chart.

"You're going to need a pair of these," Kururu, from his side, lifted up a pair of glasses identical to his own.

Kirere's scream cracked the lenses, and, in addition to this, Keroro, a few floors above, flinched, causing the sticker on his Gunpla to bunch up. Tamama, on the main floor, jumped, tossing a bowl of popcorn in the air. Dororo, seated on the roof, slipped off, only grabbing on at the very last moment to retain his balance.

"You should have told her contacts were an option in the first place, you fool!" Giroro growled, rubbing his ringing ears. Kururu gave a chuckle, while Kirere nervously took the box of lenses in her hands.

"T-Touch my eyes? That's so gross. D-Don't you have a machine that can make my eyesight better automatically?!"

"The way his machines work, I forbid it," Giroro answered, and Kirere looked to Giroro with a strained, pleading whimper escaping her lips as she did so.

" Tch… It's not that difficult… I'll show you…" Kururu huffed, and Giroro couldn't help but show his clear surprise at this. "You don't know everything about me, Senpai, kukuku!"

"Then who does? Fujuju's daughter?"

"No need to act jealous."

"W-What?! I—No, you moron! J-Just help her, already!"

"Hehe… Kiichii's a nerd…" Tamama poked at the young girl's head with a stick of Pocky, and she made no attempt to move from her position, face down on the couch. "Hehehe…"

He took a bite of his snack, then pulled another out of the box, and repeated the process, all while Kirere remained face down, only emitting a tiny groan.

"Knock it off or you're on latrine duty!" Giroro snapped as he passed Tamama, who gave a squeak of a response and rushed back to his television. Giroro shook his head, grunted, and headed out to the backyard.

"Dororo!" he called out, shutting the glass door behind him. Dororo, still a bit frazzled from the scream, peered over the side of the roof, a cheerful, albeit a bit uneasy, smile on his face. At least that's what Giroro thought-It was always difficult to tell, with the ninja. "…I need your help…"

" Doro?" the ninja rose, and with a single hop, was down on the ground, across from Giroro. "I have some feeling this might be connected to earlier…"

"Kirere… She's worried that she won't make a proper soldier, anymore…"

"Everyone has issues to overcome. I'm sure Kirere-chan can improve her focusing over time! She's still young, after all!"

"This isn't about her focus."

"Her balance, then."

"…No…"

"Then it must be about—"

"It's about her vision. She needs glasses, apparently… That's what the screaming was all about, earlier. Kururu managed to get contacts for her, but… She's still convinced she won't be of any use as a soldier."

"That's nonsense! There are plenty of soldiers out there who have overcome more difficult challenges!"

"Exactly. But… She won't listen to me… I figured that, well… You could get Lupapa to talk with her. I'd ask, but I… Wouldn't be sure how to approach her about it."

"I… Well… I-I can try…"

"You talk to her in the evenings on that… Radio thing Mahihi brought over a little while ago, don't you?"

"We've both been busy, lately. Koyuki-dono's had her schoolwork, and… There's been a nutria outbreak in the Amazon, recently... So we've been missing one another."

"That's never stopped either of you, before. Dororo… What's really going on? You're acting more transparent than Keroro when he wants something…"

Dororo's eyes fell, and he clenched his fists momentarily before speaking, "…We, well... Parted ways."

"W-What? You… You broke up?"

"P-Please don't make a big fuss over it. It was amicable. Please... I don't wish for this to spread out more than it has to."

"I… I swear. I won't. You have my word as a soldier."

Kururu took another chocolate-covered chili pepper from the box, a birthday gift from Kirere, and popped it in his mouth, while Chunini remained on the other end of the phone, not quite believing what she'd heard.

"There's no way that that was as simple as that," she snorted.

"I know that. You know that, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled. "I just thought I'd pass on the latest gossip. Apparently Senpai can promise as a soldier... But the friend side of him has a big mouth."

"It'd been getting quiet around here, anyway…"

"Has it really? Have you been looking in the right places? Kuuuuuukuku!"

"Half of me is feeling the urge to meddle… But do I really want to exhaust the effort? Oh! Got to go! We're going to go eat poor people food tonight… Sorry, Lee's telling me that they're "hamburgers". Let me know if we're going to scheme anything involving this!"

"I doubt it. There are certain lines and people I don't even cross."

"You're going soft, Kuru-kun!"

"Could say the same for you, kuku."

She hung up, and after a moment of remaining on the bed, contemplating, Kururu popped another chocolate in his mouth.

"And… Perfect…" Dororo adjusted the single lit candle on the ground, and gave a small sigh of content. The rest of the room in the small, traditional-styled home was darkened, all of the shutters securely shut. He sat back on a small pillow, and Dororo began to meditate, his hands resting upon his knees. He breathed in a heavy sigh, and then began clearing his mind…. Although it was admittedly difficult.

And just when he had managed this… The door crashed down. He bolted to his feet and immediately grabbed his sword—And wasn't prepared for a sneak attack in the form of a supportive embrace. But he remained there, silent, with Koyuki clinging on to him in a tight hug.

"...Dororo, why didn't you say anything?" she asked, not letting go of him. The ninja stiffened, having realized there was only one thing which this could possibly be about... And then he relaxed.

"…I didn't want Koyuki-dono to worry," he answered, patting her on the arm.

"Why..? I mean… You both got along so great!"

"It was just… One of those things…" and from the look the young girl gave, they both knew that not for a single moment did she believe it.

"Dororo..."

"It's… Well…"

"…Didn't pick up his mail again… Figures…" Giroro snorted as he shuffled through the white envelopes and walked along a shiny metal corridor deep within the insides of the base. Keroro, Keroro, Keroro. They were all for Keroro, all bearing official-looking stamps and seals. All probably signed with blood, more than likely. And then he stopped, both his shuffling through the mail from headquarters and his walking.

The envelope, unlike the others, was a bright red. So they just weren't writing in blood, now, he thought to himself. On top of this, there was the name written on it. "…Dororo?"

And, before long, the four men in the platoon who weren't Dororo, alongside Kirere and Mois, sat in a circle in Keroro's room, staring down at the envelope.

"They… They never remember to send him mail…" Giroro muttered with disbelief.

"I… Should we open it?" Tamama whispered with awe.

"Kuku! And I'm the morally ambiguous one…."

"T-That's right! We should just… Give it to him," Giroro answered, his eyes remaining fixated upon the envelope.

Keroro glanced left, and then right. Leaning forward, he slid his finger underneath the fold in the envelope, until it tore open a fraction, "Oops… My finger slipped."

"Could you say, a happily planned accident?"

"No mention of accidents, please…" Giroro sighed, his arms folded. "I'm still recovering from that camping trip…"

"Oh, no! Gunso! It looks like mine slipped, too!" Tamama gasped, pushing his finger across the other end of the envelope, to where it nearly touched Keroro's.

"…Of course…" Kirere snorted.

"Can it, nerd," he hissed quietly. Before he could make contact with Keroro's finger, however, the green military man lifted up the envelope, tearing away the last portion, turning it upside down, and dropping a folded sheet of paper onto the ground. Tamama gave a moan of disappointment, but this was gone as Keroro started to gingerly open the letter with one of his feet.

And when he had, all leaned in to read what it said.

They remained there, frozen in a bundled crowd for what felt like a slow-moving eternity.

"…I think my contacts are weird…" Kirere finally huffed, falling back onto the floor and squinting her eyes.

"No… That's right, all right…" Giroro answered.

"M-Maybe it's another mistake. Like that time everyone thought I was in charge! Remember how funny that was, haha?"

"Mois-chan said you went cra-zyyyy!" Kirere shouted out, and Tamama flinched.

"This… Could be a code!" Keroro answered, lifting up the letter to a nearby lamp, and then turning it around at every possible angle. "O-Or maybe something written with a secret, invisible ink! Kururu Souchou, take a look, give us your humble opinion!"

"Humble… Kuku~!" Kururu took hold of the paper, and performed his own studies on it, folding it a few times while everyone looked on intently, attempting to figure out what sort of test he was performing by folding small triangles into the letter.

Everyone tensed as he held it up—And then the airplane he had formed took off in flight, landing atop Keroro's Gunpla-dedicated shelving.

"Yup. It's definitely paper," Kururu said after a pause of evaluation. This, after a moment, resulted in a punch to the back of the head from Giroro.

Kirere started the climb to the shelf when Dororo entered. The ninja already looked dazed enough from the day, but the fact that everybody turned their head toward him immediately grabbed his attention. Really, he though—All he had to do in order to be noticed, after all of these years, was use the door?

"O-Oh! Good afternoon, everyone!"

"Good afternoon," all, aside from Kururu, who remained reclined on his side on the floor, answered automatically, including a bow along with this, save for Kirere, who busied herself reaching for the letter.

"I-Is everyone all right?" he asked, having taken a step back in surprise by this automatic gesture.

"Y-Yes!" was the quick, and unison, call from the platoon.

Kirere took a cue from Giroro's panicked expression, and she attempted to shove the letter in one of her mechanic's gloves—But the airplane only took off sailing, landing right at Dororo's feet.

"Hrm?" the little airplane landed at his feet, and printed on one of the wings, he saw it right there—The name he refused to use. Zeroro. And there was something of a congratulations…

He knelt down, unfolded it, and skimmed over it, paying little heed to the sudden, frantic expressions of all of those in front of him—Who weren't Kururu. He slowly transformed from Dororo blue… To a right, autumnal Giroro red as he continued to read it.

Kururu, finally, was the one to break the silence, "Congratulations on your marriage. Kuuuukuku!"

"It… I was just coming in to check on my flowers… And the next thing I knew, there was a flash… And then… We were on the train ride back from Space Vegas…." Dororo answered, sitting in the middle of what felt like his own one-man show, the Keroro Platoon slack jawed as they listened along as his captive audience.

"That'd explain the two broken guns when Elijah went off the rails, kukuku!" Kururu chuckled, finding his own amusement with Fujuju's nickname.

"I-I dropped two?!" Kirere's eyes widened, and she snapped her head over towards Dororo. "It… It's all my fault, then..."

"N-No, Kirere-chan. You're fine," Dororo reassured her. "It… Was something we knew at one point we'd wanted to embark on. It's good that this is happening now."

"No! It's not! It's terrible!" Kirere shouted. "You two were meant for each other! You said it in yourself during one of those radio calls everyone says they don't listen to!"

"K-Kiichii…." Tamama hung his head, and then shook it.

"I'll just return whatever they intend to send," he answered cheerfully, and rose. "It.. It's no problem. As long as it doesn't get back to my family, everything should blow over. And… Perhaps someday soon Lupapa-dono and I can work on a friendship, once more."

Mois looked up from her cell phone, her eyes wide.

"M-Mois-dono… You didn't…."

"I… We're friends on a networking site…." she answered hesitantly, showing her phone screen to him, and a photograph and name that were distinctly his mother's. "This was before I knew the details… I… I was just so happy for you! Could you say, counting all of my rice before it's been thrown?"

"I… I didn't know the details, either, so I shared it…" Keroro admitted, holding up his own phone. "…But on the bright side, anyone can say they're an assassin at a school reunion! It takes a special person to get married!"

"And this is why you're not getting one of those things until you're one-hundred-and-sixty," Giroro chimed in towards Kirere.

"…Is he going to be there forever?" Kirere whispered, and Giroro placed a hand on her shoulder, both watching Dororo as he remained in the darkened vortex of his switched on trauma switch in a corner of Keroro's room.

"We… We should give him his space…" he replied, guiding her away from the distraught ninja and back out to the living room.

"This is bad…" Keroro admitted, his hands folded on his lap as he sat on the edge of the couch. Giroro busied Kirere with fixing some equipment in his tent while he took a seat next to Keroro.

"I know… We might not be able to get him out of this… With your trauma, it's one thing… But a woman… And now his family finding out-No thanks to you."

"Gero... And if he decides to not stay married, he'll have to return whatever gift headquarters sends him. And wedding gifts are notoriously fabulous."

"Get serious!" Giroro growled. "…We need to do something about this… Convince him not to go through with this idea of not being together anymore… I try not to meddle in things like this, but… This is Dororo. He might not be able to take a breakup… We might need to bring in someone who knows more about these sorts of things. This isn't exactly our area. We're men of war, not, well-"

"Men of relationships?"

"I… I've had relationships!"

"…Gero…"

"What do you suggest, then?"

"Kukuku…." Kururu made his appearance known through his trademark giggle as he approached from behind the couch. "Mind if I throw in an idea into the ring?"

Lupapa flipped another page in the comic as she laid stomach-down in the , but found no joy in it. An entire stack of tomes laid there, unread. The ones from Japan were packed away in a crate, with preparations to be shipped back, much like many other of the small items that had once decorated her home.

She hopped to her feet as a cloth-covered parcel was dropped on top of the comic, and within the moment, Chunini had a spear pointed to her neck, a Lupapa very much ready to attack poised at the other end of it.

"Oh, and I even brought you a peace offering!" Chunini sighed, holding up her hands and tilting her head. "Some of those nice comics you seem to like so much."

"Not. Interested," she snarled in return.

"Oh, my. Don't tell me I was this grumpy when I was single…"

"Since when are you not single?" Lupapa's stance relaxed a bit, and Chunini merely tilted her head to one side and smirked.

"You know… That's a good question. Either five years or three months, depending on who you ask, hehe. But, according to the papers, I still am."

"How are you world-famous… And you keep things better under wraps than I do…?" she now tossed the spear to its side, and quickly found a spot to busy herself in; the small kitchen area of the hovel, where she checked on the status of some drying fruit.

"Because I actually act out on any threats I give out… And payoffs are a beautiful thing."

"…Why are you here, Chunini?"

"Because you're half of my favorite pairing!" Chunini replied with a sigh, swaying her hips as she circled around the shack-like area Lupapa called home. "…I like some of the decorations, but that doesn't really make this place any less of a dump, Lupa-chan~"

"Leave. I don't know how you got here—But leave…"

"Now what happened that caused all this, anyhow?"

"I'm under no obligation to say ANYTHING to you. How this even got out…"

"Oh, come on! You can't keep it bottled up in there forever!"

"…You wouldn't understand…."

"Don't be so sure of yourself! Just substitute pronouns, it'll be fine!"

Chunini, at first, didn't catch Lupapa's whisper. And then, when Lupapa repeated it, this time louder, Chunini still didn't find herself believing it.

"I think my crest must be off, Lupa-chan. You're speaking in some sort of weird language!" Chunini chuckled, fidgeting with the star-shaped accessory on her choker necklace.

"I said we got married!" Lupapa snapped in such a gruff tone nearby parrots squawked as they bolted through the treetops, having become alarmed from the growl.

"I… Thought that could've been it," Chunini nodded her head stiffly. Some information, clearly, had been left out when she had been tasked by Kururu to speak with Lupapa.

There would be hell to pay for this.

Dororo could have sworn for a moment that Lupapa had rejoined him, from the sudden warmth of a hand on his arm, but it was too large a hand. He glanced down, and was just as contented to find Koyuki smiling back up at him.

"Dororo? Let's go home," she said gently, permeating through the cloud of his depression. He nodded, and she lifted him up, turning around and smiling at the rest of the platoon. They had gathered when she entered, all anxious to see if there would be any changes in Dororo, and not escaping the letdown of not seeing any significant change within the ninja.

"…He'll be all right. Don't worry," Giroro squeezed Kirere's hand, and his eyes met with the young girl's. "…He's one of the best fighters I've known. He'll make it through this."

"…Would you?" Kirere asked quietly.

"There you go, Dororo!" Koyuki laid a cup of tea down in front of him, and smiled warmly. She'd pulled a blanket over her friend's shoulders, and lit a small fire for them both.

"Thank you, Koyuki-dono," he picked up the warm cup of tea and shot a quick, albeit weak, smile.

"It's no problem, you know that," she smiled, and took a seat across from him.

"I... I suppose this will blow over."

"If that's what you want," she answered. "I just know I'll support Dororo, no matter what!"

He pulled the blanket closer, and the two enjoyed a brief moment of silence. This, in turn, was broken when both bolted up from their spots, already feeling something amiss in their small shack.

Koyuki was the first to waver, her eyelids growing heavy, and then sinking to her knees before falling to the ground. And then Dororo passed out.

And, at that moment, after a few whispers, several small bodies crept in from all corners of the ninja shack, all wearing masks over their mouths and areas their noses would be. They carefully tiptoed around Koyuki, while setting their sights right on Dororo. The largest of them, in the shadows, lifted up the ninja, and one by one, the seven little shadows ducked out of the window, leaving Koyuki to deal with the waking up to her empty home.

Lupapa had remained there, swinging her legs on the edge of a platform, while Chunini sat next to her, the two taking turns swigging out of a suspicious-looking glass bottle that Lupapa had found in the very back of her kitchen area. A very potent gift from a neighboring village to her, some time ago, that had only strengthened with age.

"And then… His personality sudden just like, changed…!" Lupapa shook her head, her voice slightly slurred. Chunini nodded at this. "I thought he was just…. Excited that he'd asked to marry me, and then he's looking around, confused on our way back, while on the train… Men… I should just follow your lead… It seems like you have your life of track. And that makes me hates you MORE."

"It's not a club you join. Why... Why does everybody think that?" Chunini slurred in return, adjusting one of her falling buns. "And we wouldn't want you, anyway…"

Lupapa gave a small chuckle at this, and Chunini slapped her on the back, "Why… Why don't I like you, again?"

"Because I talk too much?"

"Yeah. That's it, that's it. But this... This is okay," Lupapa now took a sip from the bottle, and Chunini snorted out a laugh. Lupapa's smiling and laughing ended, however, when she saw a flash, like a small firework, or shot, in the distance, and then heard rustling through the bushes. This was followed by rustling through the bushes, and, just for a moment, she could have sworn she saw…

Chunini was still laughing—She had just thought of a great joke she'd told, earlier that day. Lupapa delivered a few tugs to one of Chunini's ribbons to cease the yellow Keronian's laughing.

"What? What, what is it?"

"I… I thought I just saw…." Lupapa shook her head, and Chunini watched in shock as she poured out the rest of her bottle and tossed it back into a metal drum, and sprinted to the other side of the platform.

"Lupa-chan? Wait… Where're you…" Chunini struggled to stand as she followed after her. She watched as Lupapa, after a moment of hesitation, bolted from the platform, and the pop musician made a small grunt, waved her hands in a dismissive motion, and laid back on the platform to take an impromptu slumber.


	86. Lupapa & Dororo: Love Across Borders Pt2

Hey, guys! Long time no see, huh? It's been busy on this side, got to say. Lost an old computer, got a new one. Got a different position at work. And, strangely coincidental to this small story arc, had my boyfriend over at my house for two weeks when he came literally halfway around the world to visit. Still, I missed doing this horribly. I think there might have been some difficulty in writing this one just with the subject of a long-distance couple going through a rough patch when I like them, haha. Anyway, thanks so much for sticking with me through this. I really hope that you like this chapter, and I'll be able to get others out for you more quickly. : )

P.S.: This'll help out immensely: art/Lupapa-and-her-siblings-159280531

Episode 42  
Lupapa and Dororo:  
Part 2

Dororo flinched a bit as he came to, only to be staring back at a bright light staring him back in the face. He wasn't in pain, aside from the stiffness that came with being transported via an empty potato sack across the globe.

"Good, you're up! Now I get to beat on him?" came a growl, followed by the sound of shuffling and a choir of protests.

"No violence, Chishishi," came one voice above the others, this one a relaxed male voice. "She still loves him, even if we don't like him that much."

"She could still do better…." a flat, feminine voice.

"Like Doruru wants to with his little green friend?" a giggle, presumably from Chishishi.

A smack, and works from a tiny voice of indeterminate gender, "Let's not lose focus."

"…Where'd he go, anyway?" Dororo didn't stick around to hear this woman's voice. He'd managed to jump up onto overhead rafters in what he assumed was a shack, lit by a single oil lamp—This same lamp that he'd been blinded by and had hidden his captors from him.

He'd lost Lupapa. He'd dealt with a lot, but he was at his limit, right then, and he was done.

And as he looked about for an exit, he bolted back as one of the kidnappers joined him on the beam.

"No way you're getting away," Dororo could see him now, and took a step back at the sight of the brown Keronian. His hat was frayed at the sides, sticking up to look a bit like wild, dark fur on an angry animal. His yellow eyes flashed over the decorative red face paint on his mainly-brown face, and he grinned, revealing a single sharp fang.

He lunged first, aiming with his fist towards Dororo's neck. The ninja, in response, allowed himself to fall over the side of the beam, gripping on at the last moment at the edge and straddling onto the beam with his legs and righting himself back onto the thin wooden plank. He stood now behind the Keronian, who spun and attempted to thrust a kick towards him, but only succeeded in nearly losing his balance and falling off of the side.

He growled and climbed up, stalking Dororo while walking on all fours, his teeth bared.

"Fight like a man!" he demanded, jumping towards Dororo. Dororo again jumped off, this time swinging around and kicking the other Keronian on the side, effectively knocking him off onto the ground.

The fighter landed with a thud, and Dororo headed towards the roof of the shack, knowing it to be made out of either hay or sheets of corrugated metal, hastily laid on top.

"Hold on!" he heard in a tone that made him give pause before he had gripped onto one of the roof panels. It wasn't angry, but cracked and… Desperate?

"…We're sorry that we scared you," Someone had lit a lantern, and he could see them better now, all of them. She was light purple… She stepped forward and sighed, her one hand extended, as if to reach out and grab him.

"I'm not!" growled the brown one, rising from his spot and clutching onto his ribs. This was greeted with a shove from a pink female.

They looked up at Dororo, watching for his next action. Against his better judgment, as he exercised often nowadays under Keroro's command, he dropped his hand and hopped back onto the dirt and concrete floor.

"Did you have fun breaking our sister's heart?"

"S-Sister?" Dororo's head snapped as he looked about at the group, and he took a few steps back. "…How?"

He shouldn't have been in awe, with Lupapa herself being a relic of the past… But he remained there, taking it all in. As he looked at the group of seven, he could see it, slowly. Some had her eye shade, the shade of her good eye, or shared her mannerisms, like holding their hands to their hips as they awaited a reaction. Beyond that, the light blue crest on each of them was suddenly striking on all of them.

The one who had stopped him looked the most like her, he found. Purple, her shade of purple with a look on her face he knew well. He'd just recently seen Lupapa herself wearing it, after all.

"It's a long story," huffed the one brother, his face mostly covered by the tall collar on his coat.

Dororo could find the time, he thought. He would have said this, had it not been for the sudden crashing noise. The small shack, which Dororo taken to have been constructed by trappers at some point, now had a new skylight.

Chishishi didn't even think to ask about the new, Pekoponian visitor before starting another fight. And Koyuki didn't think much to answer his blows with defensive moves, raising up her arms as he threw kicks. This finally ended with the yellow sister lifting up a leftover oil can from the ground and throwing it at the back of Chishishi's head. He stopped, yelped like an injured dog, and crumpled to the ground.

"He's used to this," she muttered as she drunk away the dazed sibling from Koyuki, who stood panting heavily and regaining her breathe.

"H-How'd she get to Brazil from Japan so quickly?" muttered a dark blue brother.

"Love makes you crazy," muttered the pale blue brother in the tall coat.

"Dororo! Did you have more teammates!?" Koyuki gasped, her eyes wide. "This is so cool! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"N-Not exactly, Koyuki-dono…" Dororo answered. He wasn't even sure how to explain it, himself…

"Let's talk this over something to drink… I think there's a kettle in the luggage…" sighed the pink sister, already bent over and looking through a lone duffle bag.

"So after we went through that… What was it, Ikiki?" Doruru set her cup aside and looked to the sibling on her left in the circle that had formed on the floor of the shack.

"A wormhole," answered the red brother. Dororo took note of this one's name, as he had all of them.

He had almost all of them down, now, he thought… Suzuzu was light blue and the oldest brother, and Kazeze, she was yellow. Chishishi, the brown one, had been the brother who attacked him, while the red brother, Ikiki, seemed too involved in listening in on the situation to make any movement. Amomo, the pink sister, poured the tea, and gave a glance of concern as Hiyoyo, the dark blue youngest brother, gave a cough. He reassured her that he was fine, and she resumed her spot in-between Kazeze and Chishishi.

"We ended up here!" and finally Doruru, the youngest sister, who was light purple. She appeared to be the representative for the group, who all looked at Dororo and his Pekoponian ninja with varying degrees of curiosity, contempt, and wariness.

"Another ship!" Koyuki's eyes twinkled with awe. "It's great, isn't it, Dororo?!"

"Certainly, Koyuki-dono," he replied, smiling through the gray mask, while Chishishi rolled his eyes and gave a groan.

"How'd she end up with such a sickingly cheery guy? I bet he gardens…"Chishishi muttered, while Dororo flinched, the tea in his hand shaking a bit. "Don't play with us already. We had enough of that from the government—Or don't tell me that their lackeys are still just as good at being evasive now as they were back then."

"I… You hold back no punches, Chishishi-dono…"

"Don't you "dono" me!" Chishishi growled.

"Relax! He's being polite, moron…" Kazeze grunted, gripping onto the side of his hat like it was an ear and twisting it. He fell back down to the ground and grumbled, while Doruru stifled a chuckle.

"We've been watching our sister for a little while, now," Ikiki began.

Hiyoyo gave a nod of the head, "We've been unsure about how to tell her about us."

"And we saw you made her sad! So we're doing the next best thing to comforting her," Chishishi added, clenching one of his fists and using the other hand to make a punching motion.

"N-Not anything like that!" Doruru waved her hands wildly. "W-We promise, we promise! You just… You made her so happy… And… She's missed you. We wanted to help you get her back!"

"I-I… Kidnapping was the best action?" Dororo squeaked. The siblings looked around at each other.

"We're a clan of action, not thinking…" Hiyoyo finally replied, breaking the deafening silence.

"You wanted to see her as happy as possible as soon as possible!" Koyuki exclaimed, grinning. "We'd love to help out!"

"K-Koyuki-dono?"

"Only if it's okay with you, Dororo," she added, her wide smile melting into a gentler one, and reaching out to squeeze his hand.

He understood; his family just wanted to see him happy, too.

"I… I don't know how to thank you all…" Dororo replied, turning back to the siblings.

"You could forget about the kidnapping and trying to beat you up, maybe, and we'll be even," Doruru answered.

"Ugh… I need to stop here, Lupa-chan," Chunini waved one of the arms draped over Lupapa's shoulders, and the purple Keronian growled, stopping in her spot.

"Again?! We just did!"

"I can't handle alcohol anymore! I'm soft and domesticated from family life, clearly!" Chunini grumbled in return, sliding off of Lupapa's back and stumbling towards a nearby tree. "Lupa-chan, please make the rainforest stop being so loud…"

"Let me go find the switch. Hurry up or I'm leaving you to be eaten by whatever that is growling in the distance…"

"You don't have to be so angry!" Chunini muttered, leaning against a tree and grimacing at the patch of moss growing on it. Much to Lupapa's chagrin, the singer picked this off and continued. "We were getting along so well, too!"

"What was that?"Lupapa turned her head to a snapping sound, and Chunini only shrugged this off.

"Probably one of the many things being useless by not being turned into something to make shoes out of,"Chunini muttered. This was followed by a shriek, and Chunini's jumping around immediately made Lupapa strike into action, rushing over with her staff, prepared to attack whatever creature was trying to eat Chunini; it was only a matter of time before something started, and Lupapa had prepped for this situation.

What she hadn't quite prepped as well for was Chunini, having succumbed to her fate, muttering nearly-incoherently for Lupapa to remove the tree frog off from the top of her blue helmet.

"How is something that cold and slimy here when it's hot as Hell?! This place doesn't make sense!" the singer whispered.

"Frogs? Really? You're afraid of frogs?"

"I don't like gross things!" Chunini shot back. "Now get it off! Get it off now!"

"I dunno, it's kinda nice not seeing you with the upper hand. Also, I think that's a male. And from that croak and the fact you haven't sent him running, I think he likes you."

"Oh, gross! Come on, get off me! There are half a dozen reasons it wouldn't work out between us!" Chunini resumed her attempting to brush it off, while Lupapa chuckled and snorted with laughter, finally taking Chunini by the wrist and grabbing the unknowingly green frog with her other hand.

"There. The monster's gone," Lupapa laid the frog down the bark of a nearby tree and smiled, having let go of Chunini's hand. "It's good to know what your weaknesses are. I was starting to think holy water was the only thing."

"Well, there are so few," Chunini huffed, adjusting her helmet. "I suppose I owe you my life, now?"

"…While it's tempting to hold that over your head, my conscience and respect for the villagers' ethics wouldn't let me," Lupapa sighed. "Just… You pick up the tab for drinks next time I'm in town."

"That'd require you visiting. Also, you're poor, so I'd have to anyway. Now that you've broken up with Do-kun, who knows if you'll be back on that side of the globe?"

"It's not like we wanted to… It just wouldn't have worked like that."

"Weren't you two pretty much married, anyway? I'll never understand your kind," Chunini muttered, shaking her head and cringing as she heard another frog croaking.

"You're cute to them," Lupapa muttered.

"You know I'll have my revenge for that comment… At least you two can be open about everything! You're both dirty hippies, so you wouldn't have to worry about losing your career over it."

"Why would I-" Lupapa stopped her laughing and her walking, and cleared her throat as she shuffled the dead leaves on the ground. "…Sorry."

"Eh, Pekopon's a little messed up in some areas, but I still like it for all it's given me."

"Do you ever wonder what it would've been like if we'd gone back to Keron?"

"I live for the now. You should try it, Lupa-chan. You worry too much about what's going to happen or what's happened to you before for my liking."

"You're disturbing when you're giving out advice I actually think I could listen to," she muttered, and whipped her head immediately behind her. "Now I know that's unusual… Stay here!"

"W-What? How am I supposed to defend myself here alone?!"

"You're a soldier! Figure something out!" Lupapa called, jumping up and disappearing into the leaves above them.

"I wasn't trained for jungle combat! We didn't have jungles!" Chunini growled, stomping her foot and finding herself alone with her echoing words. "…Let's see if there's something I can take with me as a fashionable pet for that movie premiere next month."

She followed this up with a nervous chuckle as she heard the growl Lupapa had mentioned—Only, it was closer, now.

"Now where are you?" Lupapa whispered, pausing on a branch and squinting through the little moonlight that was allowed to her through the thick canopy ahead.

"Lu-Lupapa-dono…" Lupapa jumped at the sound of her own name, and Dororo had the pointed end of the staff against his throat before he took in another breath to utter another sentence.

"O-Oh…" Lupapa lowered the staff and allowed her arms to fall to their sides. "What… What are you doing here?"

"I… I came to apologize. For my actions."

"Your actions? Which one, marrying me or telling me you were sorry that we'd gotten married and it'd been a mistake."

"I-I-I wasn't in my right mind!"

"That's all I needed to hear. Sorry you wasted a trip out here."

"I would, though!" Dororo shuffled closer to her as she prepped to jump over to another branch. "I-I-I just didn't like the situation, was all!"

"…I can't have my feelings played with like that. I know I don't come off as someone to be bothered like that, but… You know how much that meant to me."

"And I'm…" Lupapa tilted her head, while Dororo leaned to the right, looking past her a bit, and shook his head just a bit. Koyuki had used a newer character on the card, and he squinted and raced his mind to try and remember it was. "…Fish?"

"Fish?" Lupapa turned and frowned, and the young ninja girl vanished back out of sight in the brush.

"It's nothing," Dororo sputtered. "I… I do want to marry Lupapa-dono, but—"

"Dororoooo~!"

No. No. No. Why, of all the times, did he have to be remembered? The quiet humming from the motorcycle was unmistakable. And in an entire rain forest, he still found him. At that moment Dororo had never been more ashamed to call himself a ninja.

Keroro was still atop his bike as he stopped, a grin on his face, "I knew Kirere-chan's tracking device hidden in that new helmet she got Dororo would come in handy!"

"T-The what?!"

"We drew straws, and I ended up coming to help Lupapa-dono and Dororo out!"

"Help?" Lupapa tilted her head to a side.

"Straws?" squeaked Dororo.

"The most fair way to decide such things! I have to admit, I haven't seen Chunini-dono, yet…"

"How'd you know Chunini was here?" Lupapa muttered.

"Chunini-dono's here?"

"Yeah—Oh, no… I forgot about Chunini!" Lupapa gasped.

"We can all go find her together! Just let me park this… Now, let's see…" Keroro attempted to ease the bike onto the large branch, but gave a squeal as it instead slammed into the trunk, a result of his pressing on the gas as he attempted to lower the kickstand.

Koyuki fell from the tree, along with a shower of small Keronian bodies. She was the only one who managed to find a grip on another branch, while the rest of the party groaned and sprawled out on top of each other. Keroro gave his own groan, which turned into a yelp as the airbag, which had been delayed until now, burst out and hit him square in the face.

Lupapa, in the meantime, didn't focus on Keroro. She didn't focus on Dororo, or the missing Chunini, or the cue cards laid out in Japanese scrawl littered along the ground. She focused on the Keronians who looked back up at her, and she felt her blood, heart, and mind all stop for a brief moment.

"W-We can explain, Sis," Doruru shirked as she spoke, still rubbing her aching head.

"How's she taking it, Dororo?" Koyuki shuffled through her cards as Dororo took a seat next to her on the edge of the platform built atop the tree, and he gave a sigh.

"As best as anyone could in such a situation. Lupapa-dono is so good at being strong, I think I sometimes forget there are times when she isn't."

"So they're your family too, Dororo?"

"I suppose so, Koyuki-dono. I don't think I'll bring this up to Lupapa-dono for a while…."

"Oh? What's that?" Koyuki had noticed a slip of paper he'd pulled out from under his helmet, and glanced over his shoulder.

"This is the certificate, from when we got married," Dororo held it up, and Koyuki took this, and tilted her head left, and then right. "Is something the matter, Koyuki-dono?"

"Dororo… Isn't your name still Zeroro on a lot of your official papers?"

"Yes, I haven't had the heart to change it, for my mother's sake."

"Then… Why'd you sign it with "Dororo"?"

"…" the blue ninja took the paper back from the green-haired ninja, and stared at it. It was a long, silent stare that was broken only by a squeak from behind Dororo's mask.

"I… I still don't understand, but… This is real. You're all real!" Lupapa laughed in disbelief, reaching out and touching Chishishi on the cheek. He answered this with a toothy grin, and she giggled and clutched onto Hiyoyo's hands.

Secretly, she'd wished for a family reunion such this when she'd looked after all of them in lieu of her parents. She would have given anything to have either of them walk through the door of the small apartment, anything to hold hands, joke, smile, and know that they were all right. So having relatives seemingly return from the dead was both a thrill… And a good cause for her head to start spinning.

"And we're all here," Doruru confirmed.

"Sis, you okay?" Kazeze's smile fell as Lupapa's shoulders began to bob up and down, and she nodded, wiping her eyes and trying to hide it all.

"I-I am… I just don't think I've ever been better, is all!"

"…Should we tell her, Dororo?" Koyuki watched this unfold from the same shadow Dororo did, and the ninja turned, causing the ninja girl to tilt her head. "…Dororo?"

"Maybe not just yet, Koyuki-dono," Dororo replied. "We should maybe leave… Lupapa-dono's found her happiness, it would appear."

"Hrm…" Chishishi sniffed in the air, and shouted out, into the same shadows. "Hey! Ninjas! Get over here!"

Dororo started to back away, but Koyuki took him by the hand and gave him that look—The one she always did when she wanted him to just trust her.

"What are you doing hiding back there?" Ikiki asked with a slightly tilted head.

"Can I… Speak to Dororo for a second?" Lupapa looked about, and this was greeted with grins from the siblings.

As she did this, taking him to a platform in the distance, Dororo noted how she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of the group for more than a moment, although they were busy relaying stories to Koyuki; presumably the ones about Old Keron—And the ninja girl seemed transfixed by it all.

"This is going to take time for me to fully adjust to," Lupapa admitted, wringing her hands and fidgeting with her bracelets. "I'm probably going to be going through every emotion there is, in the next few weeks."

"Lupapa-dono, I… We… We never got married…"

"Eh?"

She accepted this with little more than a nod as he pulled out the paper and explained the situation to her, and took it for herself, holding in to her side as she returned to talking with him.

"So… Lupapa-dono doesn't have to worry now! That's good, she can focus on her family!"

"You're part of my family," she tore at the piece of paper, and tossed it up like yellowed confetti. "…And I look at her and I know why you were nervous about this. I have Marco, and you have her… And now I have… All of them."

"So… We'll be friends, then?"

"I can't do that. I'm sorry."

Even as a ninja, looking as though he'd had his soul and air knocked out of him, all at once, proved difficult, "I understand."

Lupapa reached over, and took his hands, "I was all right with the way we were. I miss you sometimes, but… I understand. When she's grown up and when Marco and my siblings are grown up. How about that, then?"

"I can do that," Dororo squeezed her hands, but immediately let go as he heard a whistle from the group—This was followed by a smack, and the duo looked over to see Ikiki standing over Chishishi, his palm open from where he'd struck his brother.

"…I even missed that…" she giggled. After a moment of watching this, she furrowed her brow, and then gasped. "Oh my God! I forgot about Chunini! Again!"

"K-Keroro-kun! I forgot about him, as well!" Dororo wouldn't realize the irony of this statement until he was nearly back to Japan.

Keroro was found easily enough, still passed out atop his motorcycle. Doruru was the first one to run to him and pull him off the bike, and shook him until he awoke.

"…She's holding onto him kinda tight…" Koyuki noted as Keroro choked back to life.

"…No. I'll put that emotion away until later, too," Lupapa muttered with a shake of the head, and turned away from the scene. "Now where's—"

There was a scream in the night, and Lupapa rushed to stand in front of her siblings. Chunini fell through brush and remained there, panting and shaking. She was coated with dirt, and her helmet was tilted, with the buns uneven and the ribbons torn.

"You… You don't wanna know what happened…." She coughed, wiping her face with the back of her less-sullied hand.

The new Keronians in the village were at first treated with surprise, but soon enough, and with a little explaining from Lupapa, they were the cause of an impromptu celebration—Not as though the village needed much of an excuse for one.

"So what's going to happen to them?" Chunini had regained herself, and sat adjusting her helmet while Lupapa sat beside her in front of one of the huts. Already, Marco had asked several of them to a game of soccer, which they obliged to, although not without confusion over the game.

"They'll stay with me, for now. We already talked about it. We're… Going to work on things. There's a lot I know that I want to know… About them, about how they got here… About all of it."

"And you and your non-husband?"

"Now that doesn't concern you."

"Lupa-chan, do you think something's been different, lately?"

"Like something in the air?"

"Mm," Chunini watched as Lupapa kicked the ball back, after it'd rolled over to her, and noted Doruru absent from the group. Lupapa's panic started just long enough for it to quell as she saw Doruru was with Keroro, looking over his shoulder as a Gunpla catalog. Whether her interest was feigned or not Lupapa was sure—But she loved seeing Doruru's smile again.

"I feel it, too," Lupapa replied, and, even in the warmth of the rain forest, and the warmth of everyone around her, she felt a chill.

"Things are getting ready to change, aren't they?" Chunini's voice was a bit quiet as she watched this, and then slid off of her spot as she saw Dororo approach. "Oh, enough with me being so down! I'll move so you and Do-kun can keep up with the playing nice. I'm out of here. This poverty's starting to give me wrinkles."

"Go home and be spoiled," Lupapa laughed as Dororo took a seat next to her, his usual, calm demeanor having returned. They had their understanding again, and their version of normal again. Lupapa couldn't fully discount from her mind, though, what Chunini said.

Maybe there was a change in the air, after all.


	87. Eliza: The Grant Initiative Pt1

Episode 43  
I might make an extended version of this. Possibly. _  
OH! If you see text written like this, consider it as being spoken in another language. :3

Eliza: The Grant Initiative  
Part 1

Her stomach wasn't getting any smaller, she noted as she inhaled deeply to button a middle button on her coat. Eliza then looked in the mirror, and turned left, and then right. It wasn't nearly as large as a woman's normally would be… But she didn't know what to expect. She lived in a balance of going into labor at any moment, and trying to calm herself out of a panic, just in case she worked herself into that very labor doing just this.

Looking around the empty, quiet apartment, she felt her apprehensiveness rise, and she clenched her gloves hands. She had to do this… Returning to a war zone was a better alternative to her only other alternative, at that point.

Eliza Grant picked up the one suitcase she'd originally brought with her, when she moved to New York with Elijah, and headed out the door of her apartment, down to the shipyard.

Albert Grant slowly removed the pipe from his mouth as he watched the taxi cab pull up in front of his house, and stood up from the porch, dropping the pipe as he watched Eliza climb out.

He called out her name in shock, bolting down the stairs, even in his older age, and rushed to his daughter, embracing her but not saying any other word, apart from her name. And, after a few moments of allowing it to sink in that his daughter was in front of him, he realized that there was someone in between them… As well as someone entirely absent.

"I didn't expect you to believe it…" Eliza whispered, wringing the gloves in her hands and sitting in the library with her father. He drank from a small crystal glass and leaned back in his chair, puffing on his pipe for a few moments. Eliza sat opposite of him, in front of a fireplace in the library.

"I always figured there was something wrong with a man who didn't know even the basics of how cricket worked, but could manage solving physics equations, but… Eliza, I… That little lizard? Really now?"

"He was a Keronian," she protested, glancing up to him.

"Keronian…" he repeated, and nodded. "…When are you due, exactly?"

"I have no idea," Eliza answered. "I don't know anything about it. We didn't even think it was a possibility! I… I still don't know if it is… But I have to try. It's all I have left of him, Father. Something's happened to him, and… I don't know exactly what, but he wouldn't just leave me. There's absolutely no way Elijah would simply leave, unless he was forced to. I want to find him, but I can't until after I know that the baby's all right."

"…We'll do what we can," he reassured her, and squeezed her hand. "I… Do know of one man I'd heard of. He wrote paper a paper a while back on witnessing some strange births in villages around his town. Now, he's no doctor, but, from reading his article, as shoddy as the translation was, he did appear to know something about unusual cases, such as this. Poor chap… Believe he was laughed off over it, but… A shot is worth a shot. I'm not going to see you injured over this, nor will I see my only grandchild suffer."

"When do we get him?"

"That's the catch. Mr. Suzuyama lives in Japan."

Eliza's nanny paled to a fine, crisp pallor, enough color draining from her face to allow her to match the lace tablecloths she'd laid down upon hearing there were guests joining them. Mr. Suzuyama was the first to step out of the back seat of the car, followed by a young woman, dressed in Western clothes, and smaller than even Eliza. The woman gave an apprehensive pause while staring up at the large Grant household, and then followed the man next to her inside.

"Albert! Albert!" Nanny called out as Eliza's father invited the two guests into the house. "I'm taking the rest of the evening off and helping myself to something from your wine collection!"

Albert smirked through his moustache as the older woman passed him, and Mr. Suzuyama looked to his companion and gave her a supportive smile, placing a hand over hers'.

"I hope you find the accommodations to your liking… It has to be better than the travel, and, once again, you do have my sincerest apologies for that," Albert lowered his head and sighed after they'd climbed up the stairs to the second floor, and he opened a door to one of the bedrooms. "This is the guest room. My quarters are down the hall, our maid, Karen, is across for my own, and my daughter, Eliza's, is at the other end of the hall. If there's anything we can get you to make you more comfortable while you're here, please don't hesitate to ask."

The woman spoke quietly to Mr. Suzuyama, and Mr. Suzuyama nodded in response. Albert's mouth twitched, hoping that this was a good sign.

"She wants to write to her mother, is all," he answered with a laugh. "I promised her we would find her some stationery after we got here!"

"Certainly!" he nodded. "There's a desk and anything else she might need!"

"Well, she can get to that—I'd like to visit your daughter, if that's all right."

"Are you certain? Aren't you tired?"

"I haven't had a decent night's sleep since I can remember… But I think it was when I was in school."

"I know that feeling, Mr. Suzuyama."

"Ah, we don't have to be so formal! Call me Haruo!" the man said through a chuckle, still palming his hat. With his hat off, Albert was shocked at how truly young the man looked. He couldn't have been much younger than Eliza… Or gave off this appearance.

"Right this way," Albert muttered, reaching to open the door to her room, and remaining there, taken aback, as the door swung open. Eliza stood there, a hand on her stomach, her eyes wide as she locked with those of Haruo.

"Pleasure to meet you, too," Haruo said with a small bow, which Eliza returned unsurely. He followed this up with an attempted handshake, but Eliza only stared at this hand. After a moment of hanging there, Haruo chuckled and shoved it in his pocket in an attempt to save face.

"Eliza, dear, I do hope you'll excuse me. I have a few phone calls to make," Albert kissed her on the cheek, and left headed back down to the stairs, leaving a heavy silence in between Eliza and Haruo.

"I guess it's time to get down to things!" Haruo clasped his hands together after Eliza had removed her looming presence from the doorway. "Good morning, Mrs. Grant! How're you feeling?"

"Like death," Eliza admitted, keeping a hand to her stomach. "You seem…?"

"Forward? My family's from Japan, then Hawaii, and then Japan. I think too much of the Hawaiian's rubbed off on me. At least that's what my wife tells me. Her family's Japanese. Well, at least her mother's side. I forget where her father came from."

"I don't really care. Mr. Suzuyama… All I really want to know is… Lord…" she leaned forward, and Haruo instinctively kicked over a wastebasket to her; this proved to be a good move, moments later.

"If that'll stop?" she only answered with a nod. "Well, let's see…" He knelt down, bringing a hand to her forehead. Normal temperature. After this he checked her pulse, nodding in approval. "Normal appetite?"

"Ask the bin," she replied plainly.

"We'll say that's a yes," Haruo murmured. "Feeling anything in the way of depression?"

Another plain look, although this was tipped with the smallest bit of disdain, "…We're. In. A. War. Mr. Suzuyama."

"So we are," he stood, and took a step back from her, "And the husband's gone. He was the one who was the…?"

"Keronian."

"Keronian! Yeah, that's right!" he snapped his fingers.

"Do you have anything I can do?"

"Well, you'd have to ask my wife. She's the doctor; I just repair motorcycles and translate her papers for her."

Eliza could have pulled off a part of the bedframe and smacked him across his face with it. Haruo, seemingly sensing this, chuckled and held up his hands.

"She also doesn't speak any English, so I had to be sure you'd be comfortable with me talking for her. I may like women, but I don't always understand or get along with them!" he headed to the door, opening it and calling down to her. The small woman entered in moments later, bowing her head and anxiously entering the room. She turned to Haruo, relaxing a moment, and speaking to him without looking to Eliza.

What species is the baby's father? Did you find out from her? she asked, eyeing her husband cautiously.

Keronian. Know anything about them?

K-Keronian?

Did you owe someone money, Fuyumi? he giggled. She only glanced back to Eliza, and then to Haruo, before turning to Eliza and giving the woman her attention.

"I caught the word Keronian. I don't want you to think for even a moment that I don't understand," Eliza said firmly, glaring up at the two out from under the bags underneath her eyes.

Fuyumi looked to Haruo, panicked, I'm not going to get bit when I touch her, am I?

She's not from Swansea, you should be fine. I think she's feeling sicker than she's letting on.

And depressed. Could you imagine losing someone just like that? Fuyumi reached down and gently touched Eliza's stomach.

Why do you think I made sure we got here? Haruo replied, his voice falling.

"What is she saying, if you don't mind my asking, Mr. Suzuyama?" Eliza glanced to Haruo, and the Japanese man cleared his throat and took a step over to her.

"That she's going to do everything to make sure that the baby's healthy," Haruo answered, his expression softening.

Haruo turned around at the sound of the back door opening, and extinguished his cigarette underneath the heel of his shoe as he watched Eliza step out, carrying a cup of tea and saucer.

"Your wife was asleep, but… I figured I would bring you this, now that I'm feeling better. I'm so very sorry for how I acted this morning, Mr. Suzuyama. That's… Not me, I assure you."

"You're worried. I understand. This is for me?" he took the cup and saucer and blew away some of the heat from it, sipping it after a moment's thought, "We all are. About all sorts of different things. While we were being laid over in Australia, Fuyumi was reading about a little dog that they tried to run out of town somewhere around here, just because it was a German breed. I can't blame her that it made her nervous as to what people could think of us."

"Well… We won't let that happen. You can stay with us for as long as you like. If my father trusts you, then so do I."

"Eh, at least it's a nice gilded cage," he murmured, turning back around to the house. "Just as well. Company isn't doing that well right now. Who would've thought trying to start up a motorcycle company with branches in Japan and a U.S. territory would get so complicated? Hehe. I should've gone into making Hanafuda cards, just like Papa said to. Boy I'm a waste."

"…Your wife's lovely."

"You don't have to tell me twice! Now that I've got going for me. I still don't know how I got so lucky! I'm guessing your husband thought the same thing, whenever he looked at you."

"You seemed rather concerned that he was a Keronian."

"Because Keronians usually bring war with them. They might look all adorable, but they're rarely good omens anywhere they pop up."

Her eyes flashed at the very insinuation, "…He did NOT start this."

"H-Hey now, I'm not saying he did!"

"He was against war… He hated ever having been in the military. It wasn't a choice for him. Just because someone's country is at war doesn't mean they are, too."

"You really are a smart one. And now I feel like a cad," he bowed a bit, and grinned, "My apologies."

Eliza's eyes fell to the ground. "He was the smart one. And such a kind, kind man…."

"And you don't have any clue as to where he went?"

"Well, he's somewhere in the universe. That's a start, I figure," she sighed, and shut her eyes. When she did, she could see him there, standing in the backyard, on the night they got married. She could heard him and for a moment she thought she could reach out and touch him. A kick against her stomach made her realize that this wasn't so, and brought her back to her true reality.

"Good way to look at it…. I'm sorry he's gone. For what it's worth... And even though I don't know him…. I don't think there was a single chance in hell he would've just left you, Mrs. Grant."

"I'll find him again. Or he'll find me," Eliza said reassuringly, placing a hand over her stomach to quell the kicking. "He'll find us."

What's the word? Fuyumi called out to Haruo.

"Push!" Haruo replied from his end of the bedframe where he stood.

"Push!" Fuyumi nodded to Eliza, in the woman did so, giving another shriek and clutching onto Nanny's hand together. They'd gathered around her in the same bedroom she grew up in, soon after Albert and Haruo had placed her on her bed.

"It hurts," she moaned, rolling and grasping her maid's arm.

"I know, love, I know," Nanny whispered, dabbing her head with a damp cloth; doing all she could to pretend that she still had some control over the situation. "Now come on, do as the doctor's trying to say in between the gibberish she's spouting out."

"I don't want to lose it," Eliza shakily whispered into her Nanny's arm, and Haruo's expression hardened.

"You're not going to lose it. Now come on, Fuyumi's saying one more and you should be set!"

Albert flinched from outside the hall, where he stood, smoking his pipe, as he heard another shriek. She'd gone into labor not much longer after the appearance of Haruo and Fuyumi, only about two weeks, choosing to collapse in the garden while taking a walk.

"If you're out there, Elijah… Don't let her lose this," he muttered to himself. He breathed a sigh of relief as he heard a second cry joining his daughter's. This was the unmistakable wail of a baby—Much like her own had been when she was born.

"Bloody hell," Nanny tried to put on her best excited face for the young girl, but her pallor was hard to mask as she saw the child.

Eliza didn't pay attention to this, however. She only continued to weep as the baby cried. It'd lived.

It was a little girl, Fuyumi had ascertained after looking over the baby. Eliza remained in bed for the next few days, gently rocking the cradle next to her whenever Rita cried.

"She likes the formula," nanny said as she brought the wrapped bundle back into Eliza's bedroom. "Already she's eating like a little piglet."

"Oh, let me hold her, Nanny," Eliza uneasily sat up in bed and extended her arms, like a small child begging for her doll. Nanny did this, and Eliza smiled upon taking hold of the child. "Hullo, Rita. You've been eating well for Nanny, haven't you?"

"I suppose you'll call me Karen now that I'm her nanny, not yours," Nanny sighed.

"No. You're always mine, too," replied Eliza with a smile. "Not to worry."

"…When did you grow up? I feel like I turned around and I completely missed it."

"You know, I'm not sure…. Hrm. Nanny. Would you fetch me Elijah's jacket from the back of the door?"

"Now, dear, I don't think that's the best idea right now."

"Please? Trust me."

With a huff, Nanny stood and walked over to door, removing a worn tweed jacket from a hook on the back and passing it over to the girl.

"Now, let's try this. This worked out for your father," Eliza searched through the pockets until she found what she needed—She paused, however, upon finding a photograph of them at the beach. It was one of the only pictures she had of him as a Keronian, swimming in a secluded spot beside her in a shallow pool. She then turned her attention to the blue "E"-shaped pendant, and breathed in heavy apprehension.

Attaching the pin to the little girl's diaper, Eliza, clicked it once, as she'd seen Elijah do, and both she and Nanny watched in awe as the tiny girl transformed—Chartreuse skin was replaced by a full head of curly red hair, pale skin—And the same bright green eyes.

"What… What happened? A-Albert!" Nanny shouted out into the hall. "Albert, come quick!"

"Why, it's just like putting on makeup. You're still you, aren't you?" Eliza chuckled, and kissed the sleepy young girl's forehead.

"How's she faring?" Eliza leaned over Fuyumi, glancing over the doctor's shoulders and down to her notes. This was futile, but Eliza still liked to at least try to decipher what she was writing. Numbers she could make out… The occasional initial… But beyond that, nothing.

"Good. Slow… Slow…" Fuyumi outstretched her two hands, parting them from each other slowly. "Eh! Haruo!" she called out. Haruo, who sat in the kitchen where they'd brought in the scale to weigh Rita, glanced up from his newspaper. Fuyumi rattled off a few lines, and Haruo's eyebrows raised, as if this interested him as well.

"I guess that's normal now, officially," Haruo muttered, setting his paper aside. "She says that Rita's aging slow."

"Well it's only been two months! How's she know that?"

"Bone growth," Fuyumi replied, patting the back of her skull.

"The plates are forming slow," Haruo said as Fuyumi continued to explain herself to Eliza. "She says that she'll probably grow just a little bit slower, and then… Really slow."

"So… Does that mean she'll outlive me?"

"Yes," Fuyumi nodded in affirmation. "As human or Keron. I think."

"Well, that's what every mother wants for her child, isn't it?" Eliza lifted up the wiggling little girl and grinned.

"She's finally in bed," Eliza stretched and yawned. Haruo was by himself in the library, now mulling through a large pile of papers. After a moment, Eliza recognized these as Elijah's notes. Flustered, he immediately shut the folder and stood as she entered.

"I… You caught me," he admittedly sheepishly. "I wanted to see if he was into building things, I guess. It's a little bit of an obsession of mine. You're right—He's absolutely brilliant. I can't imagine even a Keronian being able to process half of these things."

"I can't thank you and your wife enough for staying all of these months with me with your business in the dire straits it was," Eliza cleared her throat, and twisted the envelope behind her back.

"It's barely one, anymore," Haruo snorted. "We're heading back to Australia soon—Your father's gotten some tickets for us. From there we can hop back to Hawaii… And I'm hoping to at least get some funding there. How, I don't even know where to begin to look."

"About that… When the war ends, I was wondering if this would help out," she presented him with the envelope, and Haruo took it cautiously. He nearly dropped it like a hot coal after he opened it and saw the numerous poundnotes shoved inside. "Elijah bought some stocks on a whim, while they were still down. I checked, and they've been doing well, so… I went and cashed them in this afternoon, while Rita was being cared for. I needed the fresh air, your wife said so. Oh, the broker's face…."

"I… I couldn't. You need this for your daughter."

"This is for my daughter," Eliza replied. "I want to be a silent partner in your business."

"E-Excuse me? What for?"

"Every day I spend with Rita is another one I become convinced that she can't be the only one in this situation. I'm going to need money as well as someone with connections to help me find people like her and help them. I believe in your business, and I believe in you. And I believe you have connections that may come in handy."

With that, she turned and headed back out of the library, and Haruo slumped down in his seat, still staring into the envelope. He had a tall order to fill, now.

The ride for the ferry came soon enough, and Haruo, Fuyumi, and Eliza exchanged goodbyes, Eliza giving them her contact information as she help Rita in one of her arms.

"There are neighbors staring," Nanny murmured, noting the shuffling blinds and missing blackout fabric from the houses around them.

"I dare them to say one word," Albert muttered.

"You almost sound like your wife! About time you got the gall!" she chuckled, turning back around to enter inside the house.

"I do hope you'll keep in contact," Eliza said as Rita squirmed around.

"I'll make sure they get the right names on the letters, unlike the articles,"Haruo chuckled, and opened the cab door. Fuyumi slid in, and Haruo waved the family off as it took off.

See! I told you publishing those papers was a good idea! Haruo patted his wife's hand, and she politely placed this hand of hers on her own lap.

I still don't like how you were made fun of, Haruo.

So the business didn't do as well! Believe me, I just got this huge deal that'll help out big time! It's worth it, right? We got to help out a family. It… It was hard for you, wasn't it?

She only kept her eyes to the ground as he asked this.

We'll have our own, too! It seems a lot more possible now, doesn't it?

She clutched the jade pendant hung from a chain around her neck, and she gave a single nod.


	88. Eliza: The Grant Initiative Pt2

Episode 43  
Eliza: The Grant Initiative  
Part 2

Nothing but wheat and the shack was left. The reporters had all since gone, but Ralph remembered them as he spoke into the wreath of microphones surrounding him—Their small chuckles and jokes amongst each other. Jokes about him, and what he'd seen. He didn't need them to tell him what he'd seen. Damn them all, laughing at him. More crop circles, courtesy of "Crazy Ralph," as he was referred to, now.

Whistling for the forlorn-looking hound sprawled out on the porch, he pulled back the screened door and started to ponder about what the score for the Yankees game could possibly be now, until he heard a set of tires begin to barrel down the gravel path.

"Excuse me!" the refined British accent took him aback. She was middle-aged, well-dressed, and smiling as she waved to him, carrying a clutch purse in one of her gloved hands. From the back of the expensive black car he could see a teenage girl sitting there, her head buried in a book, escaping the heat of the day thanks to the air conditioning.

"No more interviews today, Miss!" Ralph shouted out to the woman. "I'm done with the heckling, thank you very much."

"I believe—Oh!" she stumbled a bit as she coursed over the gravel in her crème high-heeled shoes. "I believe that we're at a misunderstanding of some sort!" I'm not here to make fun of you, I swear. My name is Eliza, Eliza Grant. I saw your story."

"What? About the crop circles?"

"Yes, that's the one! I believe every word of it."

"Lady… You're a nut. Come on in and get a beer. Bring your kid with ya," he chuckled, waving her into his home.

"Are you sure about this, Mom?" Rita whispered as she followed behind her mother, her eyes darting around. There wasn't much in the way of scenery, however—Save for the blue moonlight reflecting off the stalks of grain.

"This is exactly where the signals said to go," Eliza replied, pointing her flashlight up to a single silo, old and rusted and falling apart with age.

"How did you get the owner to let you in, anyway?"

"Ralph? I told him the story about the demons and the exorcism. You brought the holy water, right, love?"

"Yes, I brought the canteen of water from the gas station tap," Rita sighed, holding up the said jug. "One of these days it's going to be a real demon, and we're going to be in trouble because we haven't been in a church in years!"

"I think anyone who can make it through a depression and still remain fashionable will have no trouble with a demon. Now please be a dear and get behind me?" Eliza nodded, and Rita did so, watching as her mother clutched onto her bag upon opening the door for the "cleansing ceremony."

If there was a dull blue from the moon, there was absolutely nothing from the moonlight spared to light up the inside of the silo. Only the smell of corn gone by and rust, a crackling noise under their feet, and a shuffling sound coming from the walls of the silo.  
Rita seemed uninterested in the creatures that were reflected in Eliza's flashlight. They were coated in silvery scales, with long limbs, tails, and tufts of red fur poking out likes manes around their collars.  
The one Rita assumed to be the leader jumped down, examining the two with a lizard-like face and four orange eyes; two small ones stacked atop larger ones.  
With a flash of a pin on her lapel, the creature seemed to relax around Eliza's presence, shaking its mane at her while whirring. Eliza responded with a gentle whir of her own, while Rita just shuddered and buried her hands further into the pockets of her jean jacket.

From her purse, Eliza retrieved a small, silver, tubelike instrument, and held it up to her mouth, "Your ship's already been picked up and put safely in storage. There's a truck that my daughter and I arrived with. A truck is a large cube of metal with an opening. We'll back it up, and it will transport you and your comrades to the nearest Alien Alley in Topeka. Welcome to Pekopon, we're so very glad to have you."

"What's that?" Rita pointed out to the device as the creatures passed by them, guided by the beeping noise of the truck backing up.

"Ah! A new device from Haruo's team! Isn't it just lovely? No more awkward drawings or hand signals."

"You still try to say hello in their native language…"

"Well, mustn't be rude."

"Hrm," Rita brushed aside some of her curly hair, and headed back to the car with her mother, her heavy leather boots making larger impressions than Eliza's high heels. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh! You're absolutely right!" Eliza turned around, and made a crossing motion, "I pronounce this place safe once more."

"That's not really what I was talking about," replied Rita as she climbed into the back seat of the car, next to her mother. Eliza waved the chauffeur off and he smiled, tilting the hat he wore that concealed an extra set of eye stalks.

"Well, it's nowhere near your birthday. And your concert's not until next month. Who is it now, the, the…."

"The Clash," Rita sighed and fell back against her seat. "You haven't been asking them if they've seen Dad."

Eliza leaned forward, and rolled up the divider between the chauffer and themselves.

"Why haven't you been asking about him anymore?"

"Well. I. Rita… Look here," Eliza removed the hat she had been wearing, and began to undo the bobby pins that had kept her hair up. She pointed to one of her temples after tossing the bobby pins into her overturned hat. "It's gray."

"So?"

"Rita, the last time we saw your father, I was already growing older than him. I'm going to be sixty, Rita. I'd be a good thirty years older than him."

"That wouldn't matter to him. You always said it wouldn't."

"I know. I was also looking at a thirty-year-old in the mirror, at the time. It's easier to fool ourselves when the lie looks a bit nicer, don't you think?"

"Fuyumi was working on something though, wasn't she? To stop that? Or at least slow it?"

"…Haruo doesn't know where to begin with her notes, though. Rita, I want you to understand that I'm always going to love your father. This is in no way me giving him up, or loving him any less. I still love him greatly. And if he shows… And is indeed interested in an old, graying lady… We'll have our reunion then. I just want to give him the freedom to choose if he wants this, though."

Rita merely shook her head, and turned her attention to the only thing there was to look at—the rows and rows of grain.

Eliza tugged on her collar while fanning herself with the wicker one she'd been provided as she approached the Hawaiian estate. It was as bright and—definitely as humid—as she had remembered. But beyond this, it was obvious that there was something missing. There were two new sports cars parked out front, but still, there was something missing.

"Mrs. Grant!" she heard in a shout, and from up on the balcony, her eyes shielded from the sunlight, she say Haruo waving while leaning on the white concrete railing.

"Mr. Gatsby!" she shouted out in return, and Haruo burst into laughter at this.

"Come up and have a drink! The ladies will make you feel right at home! Unless you'd prefer the pool boy!"

"Don't make me throw my shoe at you again, Haruo!" she called out with a laugh. She allowed the near-identical dark-haired women to lead her down the alabaster foyer, and straight to the velvet-carpeted grand staircase. Haruo, dressed in an orange and green floral shirt, sandals, and khaki-colored shorts, stuck out like a loud, gaudy-colored thumb.

"I hope the flight was good!"

"Ah, it certainly was. Then again, a private jet's such a luxury."

"All thanks to you, as always," he bent down and kissed her hand, then stepped out of the way for her to enter. "I heard you liked my new gift! Some of the folks you sent here to get shelter thought it up. I was able to order Thai food in Thai the other night, it was great!"

"That must have impressed your date. Where's Haruki off to? I brought him some sweets," she held up a bag she'd been carrying. "Also, some of the comics he'd wanted? I'm not certain what a Judge Dredd is, but I don't think it's anything by Joyce."  
"He's… He's eh… With Fuyumi's mother. In Japan."  
"What? When did that happen?"  
"Say, why don't we get some drinks? I think I need one," he murmured, wiping his forehead.

"Sent him away?! Haruo!" the man flinched in shame at this, and Eliza slammed her glass down, causing him to flinch once more. The only noise between them for a long while was the lazy fan, a casual eavesdropper on their conversation, which had been moved to the patio of his master suite.

"It was for the best," Haruo squeezed his eyes tight, and sighed. "I was waking up drunk only after I went to bed because of how drunk I was. I don't care if my son thinks that I'm the devil. I just don't want him to be around me if I'm going to act like that. It's a bad example for him. I'd rather be a distant parent than a bad one. If… If I have him here for a little while at a time, I can handle it. But not day after day. Not when he smiles like Fuyumi, asks questions like Fuyumi. If I'm going to get better for him, I just… Can't. How's Rita doing?"

"I think she also hates me," Eliza mused, throwing back her own drink. This was not the last she would bring up Haruki, she swore to herself—Even if she had to box Haruo's ears in. "Do you think that I focused too much on the Grant Initiative?"

"Nonsense. You know I've always known you focused on it too much. That's who you are, though. And I can respect that. Just like I respect that you didn't go over the damn table at me when I told you about Haruki."

"Now, that's nonsense. I've been thinking about if I'd rather have you assassinated or just roughed up a bit."

"….I could've dealt with her not being as old as me. I can't deal with her not being here, Eliza."

"You just take waking up in the morning as a sign that your job's not done yet," Eliza poured herself another glass and sipped from it.

"Are you saying you think it's been a waste of a life, with you?"

"Not at all. There isn't a thing I'd change about it. Save for spending more time with Rita. And not shoving Elijah into a closet the moment he showed up in Cuba."

"I would've stayed for you," Eliza stopped in mid-drink, and Haruo quickly finished his and bolted up from his seat. "That came out weird. Sorry."

"It's the brash American attitude you have," Eliza replied, standing from her own spot and setting her drink aside. Haruo spun around to her, and lifted up his straw hat.

"Let me show you a new place that just opened up. You'll love it, I promise."

The place in question, which he coaxed her into entering after a bit of hesitation, was a small, out-of-the-way diner, constructed mainly out of Beachwood, nails, and prayers. They were led out to a spot by the patio by a waiter, whom, upon his speaking, Eliza furrowed her eyebrows out. There was something incredibly familiar in his inflictions, but she couldn't place what.

"I'll have my usual, and for the lady, how about… Mahi mahi sound good?"

"I'll have the clams," she passed the menu back to the waiter and Haruo, amused, sipped from his water glass.

"I could say it was night and you'd fight me that it was day. So what'd you come out here for anyway, Eliza? Need a few more job placements?"

"Well, that. And I suppose I wanted a vacation."

"You mean holiday, right?"

"Bloody hell. Yes. Holiday. That. You're doing this to me. It's hanging around you all of these years," she grumbled, slapping her forehead. "I wanted some sort of a break, but it looks as though even that's successful."

"Eh, I can't lie, it's nice to see you taking a break from stuff. Or is that called a holiday, too?"

"I'm going to throw this ashtray at you in three seconds."

"Man, were you this violent with your husband, too?"

"Never. But he never got me this annoyed. What is this place, anyhow?"

"Well, it's kinda your doing," Haruo looked around, his eyes falling upon a watermark on the ceiling.

"That is certainly not my doing," she pointed over his shoulder to a pinup hung on the wall, and Haruo grinned fiendishly.

"They're all aliens you've found homes for over the years. Well, them and their families. This is all you, Eliza."

She looked about the restaurant, silent, skimming through the people in the bar. From the waiters and waitresses, to the bartender listening to a few men and women slung over the counter, to the families and couples sitting around inside the booths and tables.

"No. It's Elijah," she answered, a smile spreading across her lips.

"So, not a bad place, am I right?" Haruo walked her back up to the front door of his house and then opened it for her.

"I can't tell you how surprised I am that there's no staff here to open it for you. I could swear your rich hands wouldn't be able to take the strength of such a heavy doorknob."

"Gimme a break. The last time I took a woman out it was interrupted by an air raid siren."

"You'll do anything to get out of the check," she laughed as she headed up the staircase. She paused on the landing, removing her shoes and grumbling. "Almost broke my neck going up those."

"Had a little much, huh? Here."

"What are you—Oh! Don't you DO that!" she yelped as he walked over and lifted her up. "You drank just as much! Put me down this instant!"

"My liver's mainly whiskey. Pure malt. If doesn't affect me, anymore," he carried her up the stairs and to her room, all while she pounded on his back; she wasn't the full force she could hit him with, but just enough warning that she wasn't enjoying herself. "Andd here we are!" He tossed her on the bed and she fell onto it with a help, her hair jarring loose from its bun. She immediately scrambled back up and glared.

And as she looked as though she might finally deck him, after forty years of working with him, he leaned across and kissed her. He expected her to do a number of things after he broke away and she sat there, haunted; throw the TV lamp at him, kick him, curse at him, but she did none of these. She only gave something like a small sigh and took a seat on the edge of the bed, putting her face in her hands.

"I. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"I forgot what that was like," she admitted, pulling her hands down to reveal her eyes. "Haruo, I…"

"I'll leave you alone. I'm a jerk. This… I'm sorry. Just. Sorry," he put his hands up and started to back away; he was thanking God that he hadn't incurred her wrath yet. He'd seen it, and in dealing with alien relations, she'd perfected it.

"Can you stay and talk?" she asked weakly as he headed to the bedroom door.

He slowly turned around, and cleared his throat, "Yeah. Yeah I can do that."

"Rita! I'm home!" Eliza shouted as she opened up the front door of the apartment, one of the few that they kept around the world.

"What do you think?!" the young girl jumped out from a powder room, pointing directly up to her hair. Half of it was shaved. All of it was blue.

"None… None of that's permanent, r-right?" Eliza gulped.

"Well, there's the tattoo…"

"T-The WHAT?"

"Joking!" she giggled. "I got it for the concert! So, what do you think?"

Eliza's shoulders slumped, and she pulled her daughter into an embrace. As much as she wanted to shout, scream, and go out and purchase a wig for her, she quelled all of these thoughts running through her. All of the stories of life as a child scientist that Elijah rushed back to her, and she only squeezed Rita tighter.

"I'm not a fan of it, but if you like it, I suppose it'll grow on me," she kissed the forty-something-year-old teenager atop the head and sighed. She took a step back and tilted the girl's chin up, "…Your eyeliner's uneven, though."

"Mom…." Rita moaned.

"I'll show you how to do it properly, not to worry."

"I want to look like Great Garbo! Oh! Oh! Or Jane Russell! Can you do that?! How about Bette Davis?!"

"We'll make you look better than all of them," Eliza chuckled, stopping as she walked into the girl's room—With the phase right now, one word summed it up. And that was angry. A Union Jack flag above the bed was framed by punk and rock posters; it was difficult to tell if there was even paint left on the walls. Just ten years ago, it had been Osmonds and Jacksons lining the walls. Oh, how just missed Donny and Tito.  
"I don't mind the hair, but the clothing on the floor needs to change. I swear you're just as much a packrat as your father!"

"Speaking of which… Sit down, sit down!" Rita removed some of the tossed aside clothing from her bed, tossing it onto the floor, and motioned for Eliza to take the seat. The older woman did so, cautiously, and had a photo album shoved into her hands.

"What's this?"  
"You had all of those loose photos, so… I thought I'd organize them for you!" Eliza flipped through the book, and through all sorts of memories. The ice skating, the classes, the movies, the driving—The wedding. The life in New York. She held up a hand to her mouth, and Rita's smile gradually fell.  
"Did I mess them up?"

"No. No, they're beautiful," Eliza wiped her eyes and sniffed. "They're all beautiful. Rita… Do you think I should keep asking about him?"

"Mom… I think if you did or if you didn't… He'd still love you either way," Rita admitted. "Just… Do what makes you happy?"

"Well… This makes me happy," Eliza pulled her daughter in front another hug, and kissed her on the top of the head once more. This elicited a giggle from Rita that Eliza didn't quite understand—That was, until, she looked up to a the small portion of the vanity mirror that wasn't overwhelmed with photos and noticed that her lips had turned blue.

"O-Oh, Rita!" she gasped s she ran to the bathroom. "I have a meeting tomorrow!"

"You'll look totally punk! No one will EVER mess with you!" Rita called out as she followed her mother. "Oh, just keep it until tomorrow! Everyone will think you're so cool!"

"Absolutely not. If this ruins my sink, I swear Rita, really, I swear!"

And as they looked for alternatives to help remove the blue, Eliza saw little bits of him in Rita; the way she analyzed the label on every bottle, her bright green eyes moving wildly, or fumbled through the medicine cabinet as she looked for a potential cure.

She'd never really lost a part of him. She didn't have all of him, just she wished… But she had part of him. And no matter what happened, she'd always have that.


	89. Rokiki & Horokohoro: Final Showdown Pt1

Fast update is fast, I suppose, lol.

Episode 44  
Rokiki and Horokohoro: A Final Showdown  
Part I

"Oh, just try it once!"

"Absolutely not…" Horokohoro shoved the charm on the table away from his presence and hopped off of the stack of books used to make him even with the dining room table.

"Just once!" she begged, standing. "While no one's here! It's just like putting on a jacket."

"A jacket that makes me look like some sort of tall meat-tree," Horokohoro walked out to the living room and lifted up the remote, switching on the television and climbing onto the couch. It was three in the afternoon—The prime time for his stories. He may have had disdain for the Pekoponians—The loud one (the child), the nosy one (the father), the high-strung one (the mother), and the nag (Kody)—but even he needed his entertainment.

"You'd be able to listen to them and understand them with this!" Kodada stood up from the dining room table, carrying the wagon wheel-shaped pin with her.

"They're funny enough to just watch," Horokohoro grinned while his arms were folded, watching the scene unfold. Kodada looked over her shoulder and saw that it was a few police officers standing over a suspiciously lumpy white sheet on the floor.

"You… You don't miss going outside at all?"

"There's even more of you out there," he replied.

Kodada stood in front of the television, her arms folded, "You said you wanted perspective. This is the best way to do it."

"I'll use the invisibility shield, then. I can do that, right?"

The opportunity for him to get away with whatever he liked while using just such a device… Out in public, no less… Her blood chilled at the very thought.

"I… Maybe there's an in-between step we can take," she chuckled anxiously.

"Are we on the run from someone?" Horokohoro muttered, and she flinched.

"What makes you say that?"

"Your eyes. They're everywhere," he replied, although he himself stopped in the storefront window, transfixed by the activity going on in the shop. "What are they doing?"

"Them? Oh! They're making candy!" she giggled as she watched the two aliens manning a taffy machine. For a moment, she was able to relax, although this soon returned to a feeling of anxiousness as she became more aware of the noises around them in the shopping area—All aliens. All different species. Walking around, as if nothing was wrong with them. They didn't have a care in the world here, while she felt, in her natural skin, as though she were strapped into a suit made out of thistles and tacks.

Horokohoro was clearly mesmerized by this. She motioned for him to wait by the window, and she walked into the store, emerging a moment later with a paper bag in her hands.

"I guess the money for here converts pretty well. We got a ton," she muttered, opening the bag and holding it out to him. "Go ahead! Take one!"

Cautiously, he removed one of the sweets from the bag, popping it into his mouth.

"You… You're supposed to take the wax wrapper off, first," she said as she watched his unimpressed expression. "H-Here. This one should be better…." Kodada passed him a second piece, and Horokohoro found this much more appealing.

"Lunch specials! Come on and get them while you can! Two until four, everyday!" barked a young male Ronian who stood in front of a nearby diner. He was yellow and beelike, like most of his species, and wore a black jumpsuit, in addition to a sandwich board and a smile. He hopped in front of the two as they walked down the indoor sidewalk, and Horokohoro reached for his dagger, only to be stopped by Kodada's hand landing atop his.

"You look like a nice young couple! Keronians, wonderful!" he exclaimed, waving around his handfuls of fliers. "Please, come on in and take a seat!"

"You're annoying," Horokohoro deadpanned.

"H-He's new here," she patted Horokohoro on the hand and giggled. "Just came from Egypt a little while ago!"

"Egypt! Really!" his eyes lit up at the very mention. "So the pyramids! And the Sphinx!"

"You're speaking gibberish."

"He was in boarding school most of his life," Kodada answered as she began to pull Horokohoro away. "Maybe we'll grab something to eat another time!"

"All right, just ask for Klaus when you do!" he called out. "Do you think you can remember that!?"

"Sure! Klaus!" she exclaimed. "It's my boyfriend's name!"

"Ah, okay!" he stopped his cheerful wave in mid-wave. How she'd said his name… Klaus… It was just like… But.

There was no way.

Was there?

"He would've been caned for acting like that, where I grew up," Horokohoro tossed a wax paper on the ground and popped another piece of taffy in his mouth as he and Kodada continued walk, and her face paled to a look of horror.

"T-They did that there?!"

"No. But I'd see to it that he was," he grumbled. "The men here are all so weak."

"No dates for you, huh?" she giggled.

Horokohoro looked a bit taken aback, and tilted his head, "How'd you even—"

"My sister. It's no big deal, really," she answered with a giggle. "It can be a little tough, I admit. It's a bigger pool with Pekoponians."

"They're filthy," Horokohoro spat.

"Haha, hey, there's a place you could always go! Looks like it's just opening, too!" she exclaimed, pointing up to the glowing neon sign—Blue with hearts acting at the border.

Horokohoro halted, sniffing at the air. It smelled familiar… Like… Poorly-chosen cologne and wood shavings. The only thing was missing was the putrid scent of alcohol.

Still, it was too close to be coincidence. He rushed into the building, Kodada flushing as she chased after him.

"T-There's no way you're ready for that!" she cried.

And from a potted plant, a few yards away, Klaus watched this unfold. He gripped the sides of the potted plant a little bit tighter as he watched them both run in, and then began to shake his head, "N-No, that's impossible!"

"Hey! What are you, spying?" Klaus flinched as he heard the husky voice of the security guard, and he took off running—Still in his sandwich board.

"This is stupid," Rokiki handed Mora another strand of lights, and she smiled as she floated back up to the wall, tacking on this light string.

"But I love it so you'll put up with it for me, right?" she floated upside down now as she faced him, and he rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Sure…"

She winked and kissed him on the forehead, and she flipped, landing next to him, "Seventh branches in five countries, now! And I couldn't do it without an wonderful accountant."

It was small, but indeed Rokiki's proud smile was there, "…All right, where do you want those filing boxes?"

"Oh! The woman who's going to come in as the manager is going to take care of that, so—"

"You!" Rokiki turned his head at the growl, and his eyes dilated upon locking onto the purple tattooed Keronian.

"What in the hell?" Rokiki dropped the filebox he'd picked up, just as Horokohoro tackled him to the ground.

"No!" Kodada shrieked as he pulled his arm back to grab his blade, but Rokiki snarled, gripped onto the waist of Horokohoro's long skirt, and rolled him onto the floor.

Rokiki didn't have a free moment to even question why Kodada was there. He bolted up to his feet and reached underneath the desk, revealing his own knife, much to Mora's horror.

"Are you insane?!" she managed to shout out, after recovering from her initial shock, her hands on either side of her face.

Any chance of escape was thwarted as Klaus rushed into the store and slammed the door behind him; one lap around Alien Alley, and he'd managed to dodge the security guard.

"Get down!" Kodada ordered him, and threw him onto the floor before he could open his mouth and note the obvious battle ensuing.

Rokiki and Horokohoro had moved from the counter to one of the back consultation rooms, Rokiki smashing through the door as Horokohoro swung him through it.

"W-What's happening?!" Klaus and Kodada both flinched as they heard another smash in the back, and Mora glowered and clenched her fists. Amidst all of the fighting, the Maronian calmly floated into a back room, both her eyes darkened.

A few more struggling sounds, a few more shouts in a least three different languages, and the silence.

Mora floated back out, calmly, and turned to a tilted mirror. She first adjusted this on the wall, then wiped a smudge off her face and fixed her dress. She then turned to Kodada and Klaus, and grinned.

"Kodada-chan, you didn't tell me you were coming here. And you brought a friend with you, I see!"

"Amazing!" Klaus muttered as he poked at one of the clear domes, and Mora only giggled bashfully, although she had to admit she felt a bit proud of the bubble. Horokohoro, in response, ran forward, only to bounce off the inside of his prison and fall back to the ground.

"That'll teach you," Rokiki muttered, wiping his bloody cut lip. Horokohoro shouted something to Rokiki, something only Rokiki could only understand, and something that could only make Rokiki mad enough to kick the bubble against a wall. Klaus cringed at the exchange as he watched this beside Kodada, both sitting in some chairs against one of the walls towards the front of the store.

"T-Thanks for letting me stay," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head and turning to Kodada. "I'd at least like to let the security guard have a little bit of time to forget that he was looking at me!"

"No problem! You never mentioned what you were doing, though."

"Oh? Oh! Eh, it… It was nothing. I just lost a contact lens and it turned into this whole misunderstanding," he waved this off, and then turned back to watch Rokiki, now crouched down in front of Horokohoro, his inches from the purple Keronian's.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here and disrupting us," Rokiki said as he looked over the fellow Sankaku. "You little brat. You call yourself a shaman?"

"You're a shaman?! No wonder you pray so much!" Kodada exclaimed, and Rokiki snapped his head over to Kodada.

"You know this idiot?"

"He… He lives with me…"

"W-What?!" Klaus yelped. "You and him?!"

"It's not like that… Trust me," she giggled. "He's… Sort of like our tenant."

"You're joking…." Rokiki said flatly, and stood. "I thought you were getting out of this sort of thing, Kodada."

"He needed a friend," she replied with a sigh.

"Your heart's too big… You. Idiot. Go back to the village. If you were looking to learn something, you clearly haven't, nitwit."

Horokohoro writhed inside the ball, "Not before we settle this!"

"What is it you have against me, anyhow?"

Horokohoro grinned, "You don't get it? You've gone weak."

"Weak, huh?... If I challenge you to one last fight, and kick your sorry green ass again, will you go back to the tribe?" Rokiki rubbed his ever-aching forehead.

"You'll be sober for it?"

"I'd love nothing more but to prove that I could knock your teeth down your throat drunk or sober, it'll have to be sober."

"…I don't have a good feeling about this. At all," Kodada muttered.

"I can't believe that I'm agreeing to this…" Mora muttered, shaking her head. "If you two wreck this room up any more than it already is…."

"It'll be fine," Rokiki stood in front of the same mirror Mora had just a little while ago. "We're going down to the gym on the other side. It's too small to fight in here."

He adjusted the circular hat and grinned—Grinned wider than he had in some time. The prince of the Sankaku felt like a king as he finished dressing in his traditional outfit. Mora had never understood his taking this outfit whenever they traveled out of the country, but it had managed to come in handy for once, instead of costing them a small baggage fee at the airport. She wondered if it had anything to do with this—Just in case he happened to find someone like him along the way. Maybe it was his way of keeping hope alive.

He finished tucking in the skirt, just in time for Horokohoro to walk out. The purple Keronian dropped his mask over his face and picked up his swear. Unlike Mora, she had no idea where Horokohoro had gotten either of these things, and she wasn't certain she wanted to know.

"Let's go already," Horokohoro grunted, and Rokiki nodded and followed, walking out of the unassuming matchmaker's shop and down to the gym and arena. Jaws hung open as they walked next to each other—There had been a slight resurgence in interest in the Sankaku, since a museum display about them on Keron, so there were whispered compliments directed towards the men's "costumes". There was even an awkward moment were they were quickly corralled into posing for a photo with a young alien girl, who awed over their "cosplay" and then ran off, admiring the new picture on her cell phone.

Mora followed behind them, along with a nervous Kodada and a still puzzled Klaus. He glanced to her as they walked, and he chuckled as she noticed how close he was walking to her, "I-I like watching fights and things. I thought it'd be okay if I tagged along?"

Fights made him sick, to tell the truth. Any kind. Even fights over what would be for dinner that night. But he had to watch her more, just to be sure it wasn't coincidence.

"T-That's fine," she answered, her own suspicions forming at she heard his laugh. That laugh. She knew she could place it, but… There was just no way.

There was a ring open for the two men as they walked up to the gym. Mora dutifully took care of all of the release forms while the Sankaku tribe members climbed into it. Unlike a boxing ring, this one was an actual ring—Circular and padded on the ground. It was low to the floor, and with the touch of a few buttons a forcefield surrounded the two, thereby closing Rokiki off from any chance of escape.

The other fighters and trainers gave pause at the two, some giving small laughs while others just grimaced at the "cosplayers" gone too far.

"Not even the gods are going to recognize you when I'm done, Rohokohiki," Horokohoro bellowed from behind his mask.

"We'll see about that," Rokiki lifted up his dagger, and both rushed one another at the same time, charging with their respective blades drawn.


	90. Rokiki & Horokohoro: Final Showdown Pt2

Oh, Lord! Finally! O_O

Episode 44

Rokiki and Horokohoro: A Final Showdown

Part II

"Really? A historical reenactment? Here?" was overheard in the audience as the two Keronians faced off at each other, glaring.

"I personally find it distasteful…" Mora heard as she floated up closer to the ring. "Using Sankaku culture like that…"

"What, are they gangsters with those tattoos?" was amongst the other phrases she overheard that made her feel tempted to get into a brawl, herself.

"You know they call that the Santa Claus machine?" Klaus whispered to Kodada as Rokiki's blade appeared in his hand, seemingly from nowhere.

"Actually you'd need material for it to count as that. That's hammerspace, when it comes for nothing," she replied, not taking her eyes off of the duo as Rokiki gripped onto the sword.

"O-Oh, right…" so much for making an impression, he shuddered.

She smiled at him, realizing the tone she'd used, and quickly followed it up with, "But, you know, that's a good guess…"

_'I wonder if she's always this short with strangers…. And this smart…' _he thought, his eyes on her as she remained focused on the battle about to begin. Even for a Keronian, a species he'd never really given thought to… She did look quite lovely. Even amongst the heavy, shouting crowd, and the smell of that mats that he dared not describe, she looked lovely.

"Eh?" she caught his glance out of the side of her eye, and he cleared his throat and snapped his head back to the ring.

"You ready to get this over with?" Rokiki adjusted his hat, and Horokohoro growled, giving a shout as he bounded towards him. Rokiki made a quick step to the left, allowing Horokohoro to fall through one of the ropes, his staff poking through the ropes and nearly into the audience. There were laughs and cheers as this happen, and Mora's eyes narrowed, watching as Rokiki deflected ever move that Horokohoro threw at him.

"Y-Yeah! G-Get him!" Klaus called out unsurely, attempting to mask the fact that he was totally lost as to what was happening.

"What are you doing?!" Horokohoro snarled through the mask as Rokiki sidestepped yet again, a plain look upon his face.

"Letting a little brat have his tantrum," Rokiki replied calmly. "Had to keep my hands from shaking, somehow—So, I figured out how to concentrate."

"Quit making a fool of me!" Horokohoro demanded, swinging his spear around to Rokiki. Much to Horokohoro's surprise, Rokiki gripped onto it, leaving the gym suddenly silent. In one move, Rokiki pushed this pole back, knocking Horokohoro onto the ground. He fell atop Horokohoro, pinning the spear down with his knee and locking the younger, struggling, and choking Keronian into place.

"If you have to beg this horribly for respect, you'll never get it," Rokiki growled in just below a whisper.

"What's he saying?" Klaus wondered aloud. Both he and Kodada looked back to Mora, who was smiling, knowing.

"What's your obsession with me, anyhow?" Rokiki asked, lifting up the pressure just enough to allow Horokohoro to speak.

"I looked up to you…" Horokohoro coughed. "I… I looked up to you! And all I got was a stumbling drunk!"

"Disappointment happens. It's life, get over it. Better things come along," Rokiki glanced up to Mora, briefly, and back down to Horokohoro. "If I can't be that person you wanted to see, then quit blaming the world and it for yourself."

Horokohoro's struggling stopped.

Rokiki reached up, with his free hand, and pulled up Horokohoro's mask, so that he could make eye contact with the tribesman, "I'm going to lift up on this thing now, but know that you caught me on a good day. If you try to attack me when I lift up, know that I'm going to be having a less-good day. I will give you everything I have and you'll be taken out of here in a set of urns."

Rokiki slowly backed off, taking the spear along with him, while Horokohoro sat up on his elbows, rubbing his neck and suddenly feeling very, very small with the silent eyes all upon him. It wasn't long before the crowd broke out into boos of disappointment, but Rokiki looked over and saw Mora smiling back to him.

"I'm surprised you're not disappointed like the rest of the crowd was," Kodada walked out of the gym with Klaus at her side, and he chuckled with embarrassment, feeling his face flushing a bit.

"In all honesty, I hate fighting…."

"That's okay. My boyfriend's like that, too," she smiled. "He even gets nervous if he happens to be around the wrestling team when they're practicing!"

"Boyfriend? Oh…"

"Oh. Oh, no! I'm so sorry…"

"Oh, it's fine! Your company for the afternoon is enough for me, really. I just hope I wasn't an intrusion!" he waved his hands up and giggled, and she joined in the laugh.

"You weren't. You actually remind him a lot of him."

"W-What makes you say that?"

"Well. I don't want to sound too strange, but… I'm really calm around him, and I guess I feel that a bit with you, too!"

"O-Oh… Haha, well, I guess it's my personality!"

"I guess so. I… I should be getting back to Klaus, anyhow. We're supposed to be going out to a movie."

"You… You were?" his mouth twitched; terrific, his mother had failed to give him yet another one of his calls. "Soon, I'm guessing?"

"Seven," she answered. "I'll… Be seeing you around?"

"Definitely! Bye…" he waved, and watched her disappear through the mall crowd, pulling out his cell phone the moment she was safely gone and dialing. He cleared his throat and paced, anxious, as he heard the ringtone. His stomach fluttered as she answered, as if she was hearing from him for the first time in a week or so. "Kody! Hi! I… I just wanted to let you know I didn't forget about the movies tonight! Seven, right?"

"….Right," Klaus had never thought of himself as a particular smart man—This extended to not knowing how to describe Kody's voice. Surprised? Amused? Maybe… Even a bit sad? He couldn't tell, but he put this towards the back of his mind, focusing instead on just being happy to be able to hear it and have her know it was him.

A bit of planning and he was off, out of the alley, not even thinking about how they had indeed never had a date set up until she'd pretended to remind him of it, minutes before.

She hadn't left the alien alley. She was seated by a fountain, and watched him rush through the crowd, a grin on his face and his cell phone in his hand. She brought her knees up to her chin and stared at her cell phone a long, long while.

She slid the phone opened, sighed, and started to compose a text.

"Can I ask you for advice?" she sent in a text to her sister.

"You really banged yourself up!" Mora giggled as she finished wrapping up the self-inflicted wound on Horokohoro's arm. Rokiki, mainly unscathed, had set out to cleaning up the shop, while she, at a desk, was working on repairing Horokohoro's wounds. She could do nothing for the damaged pride, though. "…All good as new! You're lucky Rokiki does all of the woodwork he does! I've gotten pretty good at first aide!"

"….Thank you…." he muttered, dropping his head.

"Wow. You do know manners. Will wonders ever cease," Rokiki snorted, picking up a cracked mirror and gauging if there was any portion of it that could be saved. After a pause, he decided that indeed it couldn't be, and he flung it into a nearby trash can.

"I was considered one of the most polite, back with the tribe," Horokohoro grumbled, pulling back down his robe's sleeve and standing. "I shall be off. My ride here is outside, I think."

Mora gave Rokiki a dull glare as Horokohoro started to walk out. She pointed to the purple Keronian; Rokiki shook his head. Mora pointed to Rokiki, and then to Horokohoro, and Rokiki folded his arms. Mora made a punching motion, and Rokiki gave a roll of the eyes and trudged over to Horokohoro.

"Hey—"

Horokohoro turned, expecting further humbling from the one he'd heard about great warrior he'd heard so much about when he was young, "What?"

"First off. If you want anyone to learn how to take you seriously, learn how to talk to people who could kick your ass better than that. I hate plenty of people, but I can still talk to them. Second… You can't always fix the stuff that pisses you off… So go find something that makes you not miserable, for gods' sakes. And it shouldn't be something that's just gonna make you more miserable in the long run."

Horokohoro grunted and turned away, Rokiki looked back to Mora and frowned, his face flushing.

"What? I'm just staying that to get him off or our backs for good."

"Oh, I can see that. Pekopon hasn't softened you at all, right?" she winked, and he gave a low growl. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

Horokohoro felt lost in the large crowd in the alley looking back at him when he was finally on his own. Gingerly, he lifted his mask off of his head, choosing to carry it in his arms as he looked about for Kodada—He ended up catching a whiff of her lilac perfume, mixed with the hand sanitizer she'd insisted upon after leaving the gym. She had her knees up to her face, which was hidden by her legs, and her cell phone was in her hands.

He'd never dealt with crying woman before.

"My… My mother used to refer to tears as "liquid weakness"," couldn't help but blurt out. It wasn't much, but it was the only thing that came to mind that was, in any way, comforting. Against his better judgment he took a seat next to her, untying his robe and draping it over her shoulders before he took a seat next to her.

"Sounds like your family's a little messed up," she couldn't help but admit, still clutching the cell phone in her hand. "…It's okay. Mine was, too. It got better."

"…It's cold in here," he explained, arms crossed, as he stared straight ahead to avoid her eyes.

"I shouldn't be shocked… I'm just as much a liar," shed bunched up the robe around her, and he huffed.

"I really don't want to know about your problems."

"Do you want to get ice cream, then? It might not be the best thing when you're cold, but it's still good after a long day. And I think we've both had that."

"Ice what?" his reaction caused Kodada to giggle, and she took hold of his hand, standing up with him and mustering a smile.

"We'll turn you into a Pekopon fan, yet," she smiled, holding back the welling up in her eyes. "We can get some before I go to the movies, how about that?"

"Very well… I then guess I should get a hobby now."

"Well, you'll be getting back to your tribe, right?"

"…In my mind was always going to return victorious over Rohokohiki. Then I'd be forgiven for everything. I don't know how they'd receive me in this way. I'd rather have something to show them. Maybe then they'd think kinder of me."

She wanted to tell him, for a brief moment, that he should be so lucky to have people to run back to. A familiar to run back to. As beaten as bruised as his ego appeared, though… Berating would have done little for him. She took hold of his hand and grinned as he flinched with surprise—And, even in spite of this, he didn't shirk away from her.

"Well, you could always take up classes with me. But you'll have to actually start helping out around the house if you're going to be staying with us longer. Mama's been getting annoyed that you won't help wash dishes."

Horokohoro gave a grumble at this, his shoulders tensing as his arms crossed. Kodada took this as an agreement and smiled and took his hand again, swinging it a bit as they walked.

"So, am I going to get to call you Hororo now?"

"Definitely not," he hissed. "…Chir, if anything. And use that rarely. It means bird. It was my nickname, back home."

"How'd you get that?"

"I was always trying to fly away…"he murmured, looking to the ceiling of the alleyway.

"Forks down," Kodada's mother leaned over and rotated the forks in the dish drain, and Horokohoro gripped onto his sponge. "You don't want people getting stabbed."

"You don't know that…"he whispered beneath his breath, rinsing out the last cup in the sink before hopping off his stool.

"I'm going out!"Kodada, back in her familiar, human skin, barged through, attempting to poke her stud earring through her left earlobe. "Having fun?"

"More than you are, it looks like…"

"Hrm…?"

"You look like you're going to a funeral," Horokohoro muttered, looking up at her. "I thought the ice cream was supposed to help."

"Just… Going to the movies, is all," she reassured him. He glanced at her, sighed, and patted the side of her jeans.

"The gods wish you glory in battle," he murmured. "I'm going to attempt one of those hobbies. Your brother's going to help me. Hey! Did you get those—What were they again?"

"Fireworks!" the boy called out from upstairs.

"No fireworks!" came shouts from Kodada, her father, and mother throughout the house. She gave a chuckle as she left, closing the door behind her. He was trying, at least. He was done with what he wanted, but, having found it'd never been what he wanted, he found it difficult to readjust himself. What was he in life? She knew it all too well.

Klaus was seated on a bench outside the theater when she walked up to it. Human Klaus. With the laugh and that smile she knew so well. She automatically leaned against him, taking a second to stand there, her head buried in his familiar shoulder.

"K-Kody? Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," blushing, she broke away from him, standing on her tiptoes and pecking him on the lips, the familiar lips. "Just… I went out with some friends today and we got a little sidetracked."

"Oh? Did you want to talk about it?"

She thought for a moment, clenched her fists, and bit her lower lip, "You know what….? Maybe another time. Right now I just sort of want to have a good time with you."

"Oh. Well, no complaints from me!" he patted her on the back, and then took her by the arm. She used her free arm, as they waited in line for the tickets, to write back the message that had been sent from her sister, who, even while in concert in Australia, had taken the time to write her sister back.

If he loved her he'd understand. They were in the world where they had to keep secrets, unfortunately. In due time, they'd be able to talk to each other. This had been Chunini's response, somewhat sloppily written out and using Korean emoticons and letters occasionally. It was enough for Kodada to get the message, though.

She leaned against him once more, 'Another day…. For now…. Just this…."she thought to herself, squeezing his hand. One day at a time. That was how she and Horokohoro would have to live, at least for now.


End file.
